The Trump administration has issued a surprise directive to halt construction on Empire Wind, a major offshore wind energy project slated to provide power to over 500,000 homes in New York. The move underscores a renewed effort by the administration to scrutinize—and in some cases, reverse—clean energy initiatives launched during the Biden era.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on Wednesday that he has instructed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to pause construction of the Empire Wind project. While the project received full federal approval last year, Burgum said the Biden administration appeared to have fast-tracked the process, and that further review was now necessary.

Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor, a Norwegian energy company with a deep portfolio of U.S. energy investments. The company finalized its lease with the federal government in March 2017, during former President Donald Trump’s first term. BOEM later approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024, paving the way for construction to begin the same year. Equinor planned to bring the project online by 2026.

This move follows a broader pattern. On his first day back in office, President Trump signed an executive order that placed a freeze on offshore wind lease sales and halted all new approvals and permits for wind projects on federal lands and waters. More recently, the administration revoked a Clean Air Permit for Atlantic Shores, another offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey, although construction had not yet commenced on that site.

Equinor confirmed on Wednesday that it had been notified of the construction pause and would be engaging with BOEM and the Department of the Interior to address the agency’s concerns. A company spokesperson declined to speculate on the project's long-term status but reiterated Equinor's commitment to understanding the permitting issues. The Empire Wind project is located southeast of Long Island.

The halt has raised alarms within the energy industry. The American Clean Power Association criticized the decision, stating it sends a harmful message to energy developers across the board. “Halting construction of fully-permitted energy projects is the literal opposite of an agenda that claims to support energy abundance,” the association said.

Labor leaders have echoed that sentiment. Climate Jobs New York, a coalition of unions advocating for clean energy, issued a statement condemning the move: “It is out of touch to suggest that killing good jobs and energy sources is a good idea when working New Yorkers are struggling with rising costs of living and our grid needs stability.” The group also noted that “The United States can’t be energy independent without offshore wind.”

Empire Wind is part of a broader national strategy under the Biden administration to expand offshore wind power as a tool to combat climate change. That strategy included ambitious goals, numerous lease sales, and approvals for nearly a dozen large-scale offshore wind projects. South Fork Wind, the nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, began operations last year off the coast of Montauk Point, New York.

Despite this momentum, the Trump administration has moved to reassess all existing and pending offshore wind permits, aligning with the President’s broader goal of bolstering domestic oil, gas, and coal production. According to federal records, Equinor has invested more than $60 billion in U.S.-based energy infrastructure, spanning fossil fuels and renewables.

Originally reported by Jennifer Mcdermott in AP News.