Saving Seafood

Empire Wind opponents sue Trump administration, Equinor to stop work again

June 3, 2025 — Two weeks after the Trump administration abruptly allowed the Empire Wind project to resume, a coalition of project opponents and commercial fishermen filed a new federal lawsuit June 3 calling for the Department of Interior to block the project again.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum – who imposed a stop-work order on Equinor’s project off New York April 16, then lifted it in mid-May – is named among as a defendant along with Equinor and the government of Norway, as a majority shareholder of the energy company.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Equinor says Trump has allowed Empire Wind to resume construction

May 20, 2025 — Equinor said Monday that the Interior Department has lifted a stop work order on Empire Wind 1, a dramatic reversal by the Trump administration that breathed life into the 54-turbine project that had been on the brink of cancellation.

The reason for the turnaround wasn’t immediately clear. In a statement, Equinor CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for “finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.”

Empire Wind 1 is central to New York’s climate and energy plans. The $5 billion project would connect directly into New York City’s power grid, providing enough electricity to supply 500,000 homes. It has been the focus of an intense international lobbying effort in recent weeks. Opedal and Norwegian Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg met with White House officials to discuss the project last month.

Read the full article at E&E News

Dominion and Equinor Win Central Atlantic Wind Leases Paying Total of $93M

August 15, 2024 — The U.S. Department of the Interior is reporting strong interest in its latest offshore wind auction completed yesterday for sites off the Central Atlantic states. A total of six companies participated in the auction for the two sites offered with the winning bids of $92.65 million from Dominion Energy and Equinor.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducted the auction which was scheduled in June for sites located offshore from Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. They highlighted that it was the first offshore sale in the region in a decade. Combined the two sites have the potential for an additional 2.2 million homes or the capacity for approximately 6.3 GW according to the Department of the Interior.

Equinor Wind provisionally won a lease for 101,443 acres located approximately 26 nautical miles from Delaware Bay. The company’s winning bid was just over $75 million. Equinor highlights the potential for around 2 GW of power from the lease area.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

Equinor Releases Details on New England Offshore Wind Project

June 4, 2020 — Equinor Wind has unveiled the official name of its wind project off the coast of New England, Beacon Wind.

“Beacon conveys a sense of hope and guidance, qualities that we value very highly at Equinor, especially now. Equinor is making substantial progress, even during these challenging times, in strengthening our ability to deliver renewable energy and further advancing our ambitions in the U.S.,” says Siri Espedal Kindem, president of Equinor Wind U.S.

“We are at a pivotal moment in the offshore wind industry and this project builds on the region’s momentum to bring renewable energy to Northeast households. I look forward to advancing Equinor’s position in the U.S. offshore wind industry through the development of Beacon Wind,” adds Kindem.

Equinor is pursuing the development of offshore wind projects on the east and west coasts of the U.S. and is at the forefront of the country’s growing offshore wind industry. Beacon Wind will be a key contributor to Equinor’s position in the U.S. alongside its 816 MW project in New York, Empire Wind.

Read the full story at North American Wind Power