Federal Judge Resumes Construction on New York Offshore Wind Project

Thu Jan 15 2026 20:55:16 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a significant ruling, a federal judge has cleared the Empire Wind project to move forward, amid challenges from the previous administration that threatened to halt its construction due to national security concerns.

A federal judge has ruled that construction on the Empire Wind, a major offshore wind project in New York, can continue despite an order from the Trump administration that aimed to pause it. The ruling is a boost for developer Equinor, following a similar legal victory for another offshore wind project earlier this week. The Empire Wind project is expected to power over 500,000 homes, while the governmental concerns largely focus on the operational aspects rather than the construction itself.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has given the green light for the construction of the Empire Wind project to proceed, marking a pivotal win for its developer, who had warned that a Trump administration order to pause the project would potentially be fatal.

District Judge Carl J. Nichols, appointed by President Donald Trump, decided that construction can lead off while weighing the validity of the government's suspension order. He criticized the government for failing to address crucial arguments in Empire Wind's court documents, specifically the claim that the administration did not adhere to established procedures.

Empire Wind is owned by Norwegian company Equinor, and this serves as the second court victory for developers against the administration within the week. Previously, a federal ruling had allowed the Danish energy company Orsted to resume its almost-finished project serving Rhode Island and Connecticut. The Trump administration had frozen action on several significant offshore wind projects on the East Coast last December, citing national security reasons.

Equinor argues that the Empire Wind project is crucial for transitioning to renewable energy in states with limited options for onshore alternatives, and it is currently 60% complete, designed to power over 500,000 homes.

Judge Nichols commented that the government's main security concerns seemed to pertain to wind turbine operations, and not the actual construction process. Meanwhile, accusations of a 'perfect storm' of events causing potential derailment of the project if construction were halted were challenged by the government's representative.

Industry leaders express hopes that these developments may pave the way for a more robust offshore wind energy infrastructure, while the ongoing legal disputes highlight the tensions between regulatory processes and aspirations for renewable energy expansion.