Wedoany.com Report-May 20, On Monday, Equinor, a Norwegian energy firm, announced that the Trump administration lifted a month-long stop-work order on Empire Wind, a $5 billion offshore wind project off New York’s coast. The project, 30% complete, is designed to power around 500,000 New York homes.

South Brookly Marine Terminal, which is being developed into a staging facility for Equinor's Empire Wind offshore wind project, is seen in an undated aerial photograph in New York City, U.S.

Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said: “I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.” He also thanked Norway’s leadership and New York Governor Kathy Hochul for their efforts in restarting the project.

Acquired in 2017 during Trump’s first term, Empire Wind was approved in 2023 under Biden. On April 16, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum halted construction, citing insufficient environmental reviews, based on a NOAA report about marine life impacts. Equinor was spending $50 million weekly to keep the project viable.

Erik Milito of the National Ocean Industries Association said: “The administration is clearing the way for major investments to move forward—activating American shipyards, creating high-quality jobs, and accelerating the buildout of infrastructure needed to deliver reliable, domestic energy to the East Coast.” He noted offshore wind’s role in meeting energy demands from AI and manufacturing.