In our last report on New York’s massive offshore wind project, Empire Wind, several citizen groups and firms that opposed the project filed a federal lawsuit challenging the bureaucratic approvals granted for its construction.
These organizations claim that U.S. government agencies broke environmental laws by approving the Empire Wind offshore wind project without properly protecting marine mammals or fully studying the environmental impacts.
It’s a good thing they initiated this lawsuit despite the Trump administration’s move to halt the construction last month. The federal government has now lifted its stop-work order.
Equinor, a Norwegian energy company, said construction activities could resume on Empire Wind, a $5 billion project that is expected to someday provide power for half a million homes in New York.The company had warned it could lose billions of dollars in response to the order issued on April 16, raising concerns that fully permitted developments representing billions in investment are not safe. It said it was spending $50 million weekly to keep the project afloat during the suspension.”I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.,” Equinor CEO Anders Opedal said in a statement.
Many of us who have followed news of whale deaths, environmental contamination from fallen blades, and the myriad of other problems and energy inefficiencies associated with these massive offshore farms are disappointed.
Beege Welborn of Hot Hair explains that this move may be part of Trump’s Realpolitik and “Art of the Deal” negotiations with the Scandinavian countries interested in the fiscal health of the Norwegian company building Empire Wind.
I can only assume that at the time Burgum put the brakes on Empire Wind – with heavy Danish and Norwegian investments already as sunk costs – Trump was also trying to work through his Liberation Day tariff strategy.Lights begin to go on when one realizes that Equinor, the company responsible for the project, is mainly owned by the government of Norway (the owner is literally listed as the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Fisheries). It is primarily a petroleum multinational energy company with a renewables division, not an independent wind development contractor.The project pause was pushing Equinor ‘to the brink of collapse.’
There is some good news to be had, though. Part of the deal includes expanding the region’s energy profile to a reliable and cost-effective source: Natural gas.
The Constitution Pipeline was a proposed 124-mile natural gas pipeline intended to transport gas from Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale to New York and potentially onward to New England. Originally backed by Williams Partners and others, the project received federal approval but was blocked in 2016 when New York State denied a crucial water quality permit, citing environmental concerns. After years of legal and regulatory battles, Williams officially canceled the project in February 2020, citing diminished economic returns and persistent permitting obstacles.
Trump has made the revival of the Constitution Pipeline a priority, declaring a national energy emergency and signaling a willingness to use federal authority to expedite pipeline approvals, potentially bypassing state-level environmental objections.
The pipeline may be back, baby!
“The road ahead for the Constitution Pipeline remains bumpy, but the broad strokes of a logical deal could be a win-win for end users,” analysts at energy consulting firm EBW Analytics said in a note.Officials at U.S. energy firm Williams Cos…one of Constitution Pipeline’s joint venture partners, were not immediately available for comment. With U.S. President Donald Trump back in office and voicing his support for the Constitution project, executives at Williams have said the company was looking at dusting off plans for the pipeline under the right circumstances.
Meanwhile, the citizen lawsuit continues..so there is at least hope that we get a working pipeline and lose the whale killing fields.
I will simply point out that this deal cost the Trump team much goodwill and political capital, so I hope it works out for them.
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