Equinor said the project, about 30% finished, had gross book value reached about $2.5 billion as of March 31. 

President Donald Trump, who has long voiced rhetoric opposing offshore wind, issued an executive order in January directing review of approved projects. Trump officials said they aim to sped up energy projects by cutting regulatory reviews and expediting permits, But the new Empire Wind review is needed because "the Biden administration rushed through its approval without sufficient analysis,” claimed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in a social media post when the halt was announced April 16..

Equinor said in a statement it is complying with the order, but is also “engaging with relevant authorities to clarify this matter," including legal action.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized the stop-work order, calling it “federal overreach” in a statement. “I will fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future,” she said.

Market Response

Construction led by Skanska started at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal in June 2024 after Empire received all its necessary state and federal permits. Offshore work was scheduled to begin this year. The wind farm was expected to begin delivering power in late 2026 and to be fully operational in 2027.

Equinor finalized its lease for Empire Wind in 2017 during the first Trump administration. It is developing the project under a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Doreen Harris, president and CEO of NYSERDA, said in a statement that the order to halt work “goes against the Trump administration’s own prioritization of independent and locally produced energy and shows a complete disregard for a once-in-a-generation economic powerhouse like offshore wind energy.”

The move sends a chilling signal to anyone investing in clean energy in the U.S., Harris added. The same day that Equinor confirmed the pause of work on Empire Wind, E2, a group that promotes environmentally sustainable economic policies, said it found 16 clean energy projects with a combined cost totaling nearly $8 billion were abandoned in the first three months of this year alone. 

“Clean energy companies still want to invest in America, but uncertainty over Trump administration policies and the future of critical clean energy tax credits are taking a clear toll,” said Michael Timberlake, communications director at E2, in a statement. “If this self-inflicted and unnecessary market uncertainty continues, we’ll almost certainly see more projects paused, more construction halted and more job opportunities disappear.”