Empire Wind 1 Stop Work Order Lifted, Construction Resumed

On Monday, the federal stop work order on Empire Wind 1 was lifted, allowing offshore construction to resume. The fully funded, fully permitted 810-megawatt offshore wind farm expected to power approximately 500,000 is already employing hundreds of New Yorkers including more than 1000 union jobs.

“After countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, bringing labor and business to the table to emphasize the importance of this project, I’m pleased that President Trump and Secretary Burgum have agreed to lift the stop work order and allow this project to move forward,” Governor Hochul said in a statement.

“Union workers are ready to get back to work on Empire Wind 1, a project that will deliver clean energy to half a million homes, help drive down energy prices, and support thousands of jobs,” said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. “We’re grateful to Governor Hochul for reaching this critically important agreement. Offshore wind is a vital part of our energy mix — a domestic resource that creates union jobs and strengthens our grid. Let’s get back to work powering our future.” Read more (including additional labor union statements) from Climate Jobs NY, Inside Climate News, The New York Times, and Gothamist.