Federal Judge Allows Equinor to Restart New York Offshore Wind Project

A federal decide on Thursday cleared Norwegian offshore wind developer Equinor to renew work on its New York Empire Wind venture, which President Donald Trump’s administration halted together with 4 different tasks final month.

The ruling by U.S. District Decide Carl Nichols in Washington is the second authorized setback for Trump’s offshore wind pause this week, after a decide in the identical courtroom on Monday ruled Danish energy company Orsted may restart work on a venture off the coast of Rhode Island.

The victories give Equinor and Orsted what may very well be a brief reprieve to proceed work on their multi-billion-dollar tasks, whereas their underlying lawsuits proceed. A federal decide in Virginia on Friday will contemplate a request by one other venture, Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, to dam Trump’s offshore wind pause.

Trump has spent the final yr searching for to block expansion of offshore wind in federal waters. He has repeatedly stated he considers the know-how costly, unreliable and ugly. The Inside Division, which ordered the pause, didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon the ruling.

Authorities attorneys argued in courtroom that the December 22 halt was justified by new, categorised info relating to offshore wind’s impression on nationwide safety. The Protection Division raised the brand new considerations, which relate to radar interference, to Inside officers in November.

However Nichols, who was appointed by Trump throughout his first time period, stated the federal government’s nationwide safety considerations didn’t outweigh the “irreparable hurt” Empire Wind would undergo if it couldn’t resume building.

The order “threatens Empire Wind’s complete existence,” Nichols stated, by limiting its entry to uncommon vessels it wants to complete the venture.

Equinor has spent $4 billion on the venture, which is 60% full and is predicted to supply sufficient energy for 500,000 New York houses.

“Empire Wind will now deal with safely restarting building actions that have been halted throughout the suspension interval,” Equinor stated in an announcement. “As well as, the venture will proceed to have interaction with the U.S. authorities to make sure the secure, safe and accountable execution of its operations.”

Nichols stated he would contemplate the deserves of the underlying lawsuit on an “expedited foundation.”

(Reporting by Blake Brittain in Washington and Nichola Groom in Los AngelesEditing by Rod Nickel and Aurora Ellis)

Empire Wind building web site. Equinor picture.

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