Trump Halts Empire Wind 1, Pauses Offshore Projects

The Trump administration has ordered an immediate halt to construction of New York’s Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project, citing concerns that its approval under the previous administration lacked adequate analysis. The stoppage was directed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and follows President Trump’s executive order pausing all offshore wind leasing and permitting nationwide. The project, developed by Norway’s Equinor, was set to power 500,000 homes and had already created over 1,000 jobs. New York officials, labor unions, and environmental groups have sharply criticized the move, warning it will jeopardize jobs and delay clean energy goals, while Equinor is considering legal action. Opponents of offshore wind continue to raise environmental and economic concerns, but federal reports have found no direct link between wind projects and increased marine mammal strandings. The halt intensifies the administration’s broader opposition to wind energy and its support for fossil fuel development.