Equinor to resume construction of $5 billion Empire Wind farm off New York

Norwegian energy company Equinor can resume construction of the Empire Wind offshore wind farm project near New York in the United States. The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has backed away from an order issued a month ago to halt construction, Reuters reported. The project is valued at around five billion dollars (nearly 111 billion Kč) and, according to the Norwegian company, will supply electricity to 500.000 households.

The project was halted by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum over an allegedly inadequate environmental impact analysis, which had previously been questioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The project, which will use wind turbines from Danish manufacturer Vestas, is currently about one-third complete.

Equinor CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Trump for finding a solution that, he said, would save thousands of jobs. The company expects to complete the project in 2027. While the project was suspended, Equinor spent around USD 50 million (1.1 billion Kč) per month to keep it on track.

The United States operates four offshore wind farms, with another three under construction. Wind power capacity in the U.S. has continued to grow in recent years, reaching 153.2 gigawatts (GW) at the end of last year, more than three times the 2010 figure of 47 GW.