The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has rescinded the order to stop construction work on Equinor’s Empire Offshore Wind project offshore New York. Equinor said that construction will now resume.

“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” said Anders Opedal, Equinor’s president and CEO.

BOEM had issued the order on 16 April. Following dialogue with regulators and federal, state, and city officials, the stop-work order was lifted.

“This project delivers on the energy ambitions shared by the United States and New York by providing a vital new source of power to the region,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Wind US. “Empire Wind brings supply chain investments in states across the nation including New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas and South Carolina.”

Equinor said it will perform an updated assessment of the project economics in the second quarter. Empire aims to be able to execute planned activities in the offshore installation window in 2025 and reach its planned commercial operation date in 2027. Empire will engage with suppliers and regulatory bodies to reduce the effect of the stop-work order.

The federal lease for Empire Wind was signed with the US administration in 2017. After an environmental review process, the US government approved the plan to build a commercial offshore wind farm in early 2024, after which construction started. Project financing was secured in 2024, and the project is currently more than 30% complete. The project is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to provide a source of electricity for the state of New York. The construction phase has put more than 1,500 people to work in the US. Empire Wind 1 has the potential to power 500,000 New York homes.