Latest news with #EmpireWindProject
Sky News AU
13-05-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Energy company threatens to pull plug on wind farm off the coast of New York as Trump review sparks $78 million a week in losses
The energy company behind a partially completed wind farm off Long Island's coast warned it will scrap the project 'within days' if it's kept in limbo by the Trump administration. Norwegian-based Equinor said it's losing a whopping $50 million (AUD$78 million) a week since Trump's Department of the Interior halted construction on the controversial project that is expected to deliver energy to 500,000 homes in New York City, its leaders told The Post. 'We will have to terminate the program within days if we don't have a resolution with the federal government,' said Molly Morris, Equinor's president of Renewables in America. 'This situation is unsustainable.' The loss of the Empire Wind project would be a blow to New York state's green energy push and also mean the loss of as many as thousands of jobs needed for building the sprawling wind farm. The project is supported by city Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul and had received all the necessary permits from the prior Biden Administration last year. Morris said the suspension of the project is 'unlawful' and Equinor has not ruled out filing a lawsuit to undo the freeze as 11 vessels have been left waiting on standby. Empire Wind is more than 30% complete and construction at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal — the substation where the wind power would be delivered to connect to Con Edison's grid — is more than 50% done, the company said. More than $2.5 billion has already been spent, Morris said. Construction for the project created 1,500 jobs and as many as 4,000 total jobs were in the works, not just in New York but also in Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. The 54-turbine wind farm, 15 miles off the Long Island coast, is opposed by Long Island beach communities, commercial fishermen and Republican allies of President Trump — including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. Trump's Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum stepped in last month to pull the plug on the project, claiming its approval was 'rushed through' by the lame duck Biden administration in its final days. 'Staff of the Department of the Interior has obtained information that raises serious issues with respect to the project approvals for the Empire Wind Project,' Burgum said in a statement at the time. 'This halt is to remain in effect until further review is completed to address these serious deficiencies.' But Equinor said it signed its federal lease for Empire Wind with the first Trump administration in 2017. Empire Wind had undergone years of rigorous review and secured all necessary federal, state and local approvals and permits to begin construction last year, the company said. And the Big Apple's mayor said spoke up in support of the project when he met with Trump at the White House last Friday in a bid to save the project 'It's a great project,' Adams said following an unrelated press conference Monday. 'When I was in DC, I shared that with the president. 'We're going to continue to push forward to get [Empire Wind] across the finish line.' It may be a tough sell for the president, who has been an opponent of wind power — criticizing the renewable energy source as unreliable, costly and harmful to wildlife. Upon taking office again in January, he issued an executive order to block or pause all new offshore wind projects. The president's order did not explicitly halt projects that had already been approved with federal leases and permits, as was the case with Equinor's wind farm. Originally published as Energy company threatens to pull plug on wind farm off the coast of New York as Trump review sparks $78 million a week in losses
New York Post
12-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Energy company threatens to pull plug on wind farm off Long Island shore as Trump review sparks $50M a week in losses
The energy company behind a partially completed wind farm off Long Island's coast warned it will scrap the project 'within days' if it's kept in limbo by the Trump administration. Norwegian-based Equinor said it's losing a whopping $50 million a week since Trump's Department of the Interior halted construction on the controversial project that is expected to deliver energy to 500,000 homes in New York City, its leaders told The Post. 'We will have to terminate the program within days if we don't have a resolution with the federal government,' said Molly Morris, Equinor's president of Renewables in America. 'This situation is unsustainable.' Advertisement 3 The wind farm off Long Island's coast is expected to deliver energy to 500,000 homes in New York City. Empire Wind The loss of the Empire Wind project would be a blow to New York state's green energy push and also mean the loss of as many as thousands of jobs needed for building the sprawling wind farm. The project is supported by city Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul and had received all the necessary permits from the prior Biden Administration last year. Advertisement Morris said the suspension of the project is 'unlawful' and Equinor has not ruled out filing a lawsuit to undo the freeze as 11 vessels have been left waiting on standby. Empire Wind is more than 30% complete and construction at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal — the substation where the wind power would be delivered to connect to Con Edison's grid — is more than 50% done, the company said. More than $2.5 billion has already been spent, Morris said. Construction for the project created 1,500 jobs and as many as 4,000 total jobs total were in the works, not just in New York but also in Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. Advertisement The 54-turbine wind farm, 15 miles off the Long Island coast, is opposed by Long Island beach communities, commercial fishermen and Republican allies of President Trump — including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. 3 Norwegian-based Equinor said it's losing a whopping $50 million a week since Trump's Department of the Interior halted construction on the controversial project. AP Trump's Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum stepped in last month to pull the plug on the project, claiming its approval was 'rushed through' by the lame duck Biden administration in its final days. 'Staff of the Department of the Interior has obtained information that raises serious issues with respect to the project approvals for the Empire Wind Project,' Burgum said in a statement at the time. 'This halt is to remain in effect until further review is completed to address these serious deficiencies.' Advertisement But Equinor said it signed its federal lease for Empire Wind with the first Trump administration in 2017. Empire Wind had undergone years of rigorous review and secured all necessary federal, state and local approvals and permits to begin construction last year, the company said. And the Big Apple's mayor said spoke up in support of the project when he met with Trump at the White House last Friday in a bid to save the project 'It's a great project,' Adams said following an unrelated press conference Monday. 'When I was in DC I shared that with the president. 'We're going to continue to push forward to get [Empire Wind] across the finish line.' 3 Empire Wind is more than 30% complete and construction at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal is more than 50% done. Equinor/YouTube It may be a tough sell for the president, who has been an opponent of wind power — criticizing the renewable energy source as unreliable, costly and harmful to wildlife. Upon taking office again in January, he issued an executive order to block or pause all new offshore wind projects. The president's order did not explicitly halt projects that had already been approved with federal leases and permits, as was the case with Equinor's wind farm.
New York Post
27-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Don's unfair peace proposal for Ukraine: Letters
The Issue: President Trump's Ukraine war peace deal with terms including Russian occupation of Crimea. I applaud President Trump for making the end of the Ukraine war a priority, and I understand his need to fulfill a campaign promise ('Peace deal's on 'iffy' ground,' April 24). However, forcing our ally to capitulate to our enemy will not bring the peace the world wants. The president keeps talking about this 'leverage' he has on Russia — well, now is the time to use it. Advertisement Daniel Kuncio Manhattan I was surprised at how magnanimous Trump was to Russia when I read his peace proposal. Advertisement US recognition of Russia's annexation of Crimea in addition to maintaining occupation of the territories that Russian forces presently occupy, along with the promise that Ukraine will never join NATO, is everything that Russia has demanded. If Moscow refuses, it can only be because it wants to annex all of Ukraine. Trump must make Vladimir Putin believe America will not, under any circumstances, allow that to happen and, if he persists in that endeavor, the economic consequences for Russia will be severe. I only hope that this is what Trump meant when he said that if this peace offering is not accepted, we will 'move on' from the negotiation table. Jack Kaufman Advertisement Naples, Fla When does our responsibility to fall on every other countries' sword finally end? It needs to, unless we deliberately want to bring about World War III. Yes, it's a terrible war with incalculable injuries, deaths and destruction, but we didn't start it. There are absolutely no saints in this struggle, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can't expect to get everything he wants if Russia can't do likewise. The solution is called a compromise specifically because of that fact. Advertisement Vincent Ruggiero Scottsdale, Ariz. Forcing Ukraine to give up Crimea would be totally unrealistic and ultimately reward Russia for its aggression. In addition to Ukraine itself, all European countries have an interest in seeing their borders not changed by force. As a compromise, Ukraine should refrain from joining NATO but receive strong security guarantees from a number of its current allies, including at least one of the two European nuclear powers, the UK and France. Bruce Couchman Ottawa, Canada If this is our president's idea of a fair and equitable deal, we clearly know where his allegiance lies. Advertisement Steve Bollander Montville, NJ The Issue: President Trump's opposition to the Empire Wind Project and Mayor Adams' pleas to revive it. I hope Mayor Adams prevails over President Trump's irrational aversion to wind farms and his decision to pull the plug on the one already under construction ('Project on Hizz whoosh list,' April 25. New York needs the clean, low-cost electricity, jobs and economic development offshore wind farms provide. Advertisement Gov. Hochul has taken a firm stance against the moves Trump is making. She and Mayor Adams can be allies. Laurie Aron Manhattan Advertisement The Trump administration's recent halt to the Empire Wind Project off Long Island was based on political opposition, not environmental concerns. Offshore wind offers benefits beyond clean energy; it will revitalize our ports, reduce air pollution and stabilize energy costs. Hochul noted that Trump's action threatens over 1,000 union jobs. Now Adams is jumping on the bandwagon, opposing Trump. We can't derail our clean-energy future because of Trump's fearmongering and debunked claims about whales. Advertisement Melissa Parrott Long Island Want to weigh in on today's stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@ Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.
New York Post
25-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
New Yorkers would be forced to pay 2.5x market rate for wind energy from Empire Wind One offshore farm: expert
New Yorkers would be forced to pay 2.5 times the market rate for electricity generated by the Empire Wind One offshore wind farm if the deal goes through, according to an independent financial analysis. The Trump Administration paused construction of the controversial project — 54 turbines in the Atlantic Ocean some 14 miles south of Long Island — last week, saying it needs further review. The project has seen strong backing from Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams. Trump's move was welcomed by those who claim the project is going to overcharge taxpayers. Advertisement 'New Yorkers are entitled to clean, affordable, reliable energy,' Christina Kramer, president of Protect Our Coast Long Island New York, told The Post. 'And this is none of those things.' 8 Wind turbines in a farm structure in the Atlantic like the one proposed off Long Island. The pictured turbines are on a Wind Farm near Rhode Island, which was the first commercial offshore wind farm in the US. Getty Images 8 A computer rendering of the Empire Wind 1 facility's Onshore Substation, which would collect the electricity generated by the turbines. Empire Wind Advertisement The organization had requested analysis from Edward P. O'Donnell, a New Jersey nuclear engineer and consultant who spent 35 years running nuclear plants. 'Empire Wind One was awarded a contract to charge $155 a megawatt hour (MWH) for their power,' O'Donnell told The Post. 'It's a subsidy, because if you didn't have Empire Wind One, the utilities would buy [power] from the wholesale market at about $50 a megawatt hour.' The total amount of the subsidy, O'Donnell said, would be $9 billion. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), who manages the state's power grid, is mandated to buy power generated by offshore wind over cheaper power from gas-fired or nuclear plants. The federal Inflation Reduction Act, signed by former President Joe Biden in 2022, also provides a 30% tax credit for offshore wind projects that begin construction before Jan. 1, 2026, and additional credits are available for using US labor and building materials. Advertisement 'A company who is building an $8 billion offshore wind project — that's what they're costing — can get up to half of that refunded to them as a tax credit,' O'Donnell said. 'That's on us, federal taxpayers throughout the country. We're all footing that bill.' 8 Christina Kramer, president of Protect Our Coast Long Island New York, who have pointed out the costs to taxpayer which the project is incurring. 8 A map showing the proposed area of the the Empire Wind Project, with phse one in yellow and phase two in purple. The map also shows the cable pipelines for the electricity to be transferred back to shore. Congress may repeal the federal tax credit, O'Donnell said, but he also expects that would get thrown back at the consumer. Advertisement 'If and when the tax credit gets repealed they would then lose $2 billion of their capital funding. They would go back to NYSERDA and say, we need another $50 per megawatt hour, or we need $205 or $210 per megawatt hour, whatever, or else we can't go forward,' he speculated. O'Donnell points to previous examples of Empire Wind One and another contractor, Sunrise Wind — which is building 84 turbines in the ocean 30 miles east of Montauk Point — having already done this. In 2019, NYSERDA awarded a contract to Empire Wind One, owned by the Norwegian company Equinor, at a rate of $118 per MWH for 25 years. It also agreed to pay Sunrise Wind, owned by Orsted, a Danish energy giant, $110.37 per MWH for 25 years. Three years later, both companies wanted rate hikes, citing high costs and supply chain bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 8 Edward P. O'Donnell, a New Jersey nuclear engineer and consultant who spent 35 years running nuclear plants. courtesy of Edward P. OâDonnell 8 Graph showing the prices for power generated by the offshore wind projects compared to the standard market price, and how it is expected to raise over time. Graph by Edward P. OâDonnell of. Whitestrand Consulting LLC., Long Beach Township, N.J The requests were declined by the New York State Public Service Commission, but NYSERDA gave them the opportunity to rebid their contract and awarded them more money. NYSERDA re-signed the developers with contracts at significantly higher prices: $155 per MWH for Empire Wind One, a 31% increase, and $146 per MWH for Sunrise, a 32% price hike. Advertisement 'The Empire Wind One rebid ratepayer subsidy will total $9 billion over the life of the facility,' O'Donnell wrote in his report. 'The 2024 present value of these above-market ratepayer costs is $6.2 billion, compared with $4.4 billion for the original Empire Wind One contract.' O'Donnell claims New York ratepayers will provide $18 billion in subsidies to the two foreign offshore wind companies. With the ratepayer and federal subsidies, O'Donnell says his research shows Equinor would see a rate of return on their investment over 20%, much higher than the 9% regulated utility companies are generally allowed to earn. 8 Turbines on the Mount Storm Wind Farm in West Virginia. Getty Images Advertisement 8 A diagram showing the size of the wind farm turbines for the Empire Wind Project compared to the Chrysler building in New York City. Empire Wind 'I think that no public utility should be making money off of the residents. A public utility is supposed to be just that — a service that's provided, that is created out of our tax dollars in part. But having these private equity companies make a fortune off of us after we've subsidized it is a proverbial slap in the face. We're onto it, and we're not going to stop,' Kramer added. Empire Wind declined to comment on the subsidies. A NYSERDA spokesperson declined to comment on the economic analysis but complained about its sponsor. Advertisement 'Protect Our Coast Long Island is a vocal critic of offshore wind energy and has been engaged in a strategic political effort to derail New York's offshore wind industry and the substantial economic opportunities it delivers,' the spokesperson said via email. 'Staff of the Department of the Interior has obtained information that raises serious issues with respect to the project approvals for the Empire Wind Project,' Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum wrote in a Wednesday letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 'Approval for the project was rushed through by the prior administration without sufficient analysis or consultation,' he added. Kramer is pleased construction has stopped, but added: 'I think that we'd be even more elated if they said, 'Well, we're just going to put a full stop to them.' '
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eric Adams pleads with Trump to revive wind farm off NY coast for energy boost, 1,000 good paying jobs
Eric Adams is running with the wind. The mayor is pleading with President Trump to revive a wind farm off Long Island's coast that was halted by the administration in the middle of construction last week. Resuscitating the Empire Wind Project would feed power into the 'long-underutilized' South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, juice up to 500,000 homes and create more than 1,000 good paying jobs, Adams said. 'This project reinvests in Brooklyn's working waterfront and advances a more dependable electricity grid to meet our city's increased energy demands,' the mayor told The Post of the project, which had already received lease and permit approvals prior to Trump's return to office in January. 'Our administration is also in touch with the US Department of Interior to engage with them directly on this,' Adams said. Critics have accused Adams of cozying up to Trump while his Justice Department moved to withdraw a criminal corruption case against the mayor, which led to its dismissal. But Hizzoner, a Democrat who is running for re-election as an independent, differs with Trump on wind power. Trump issued an executive order in January to block all pending offshore windshore projects and review current ones. Meanwhile Adams has backed the wind project since before he was elected as mayor, when he served as Brooklyn borough president. After the Interior department shut down Empire Wind, Adams met with Jens Økland, acting executive vice president for renewables with Norwegian-based developer Equinor, the developer that had already started construction of the foundation to erect 54 wind turbines some 15 miles off the Long Island coast. An Equinor spokesperson said the project would invest $1.6 billion into the state's economy. 'The United States fully approved the project in early 2024 and construction is more than 30 percent complete,' the spokesperson said. 'We will engage directly with all relevant stakeholders to understand the questions raised by the federal government about the permits we have received from authorities.' The company said construction continues at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where work is more than 50 percent complete. Still, the project is seeing blowback from the Long Island commercial fishing industry and Republicans with ties to Trump, including Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman. They have argued turbines would harm marine life. And the president has shown no signs of softening his stance on the industry and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum had said there were 'serious issues' with the Biden administration's approval of the wind farm which he claimed were completed 'without sufficient analysis or consultation.' The Interior Department had no immediate comment on Adams' appeal to revive the sprawling win to boost renewable energy. The suspension of Empire Wind — even temporarily — is a setback for the mandates in New York's green energy law. Under the Climate Act, New York must reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2030 and have 100% zero-emission electricity by 2040. Rules also require the Empire State to generate 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035, 6,000 megawatts of solar energy by 2025 and build 3,000 megawatts of energy storage by 2030. US Environmental Protection Administrator Lee Zeldin called the timetables in New York's law 'delusional' and a 'left-wing recipe for an energy and economic catastrophe.'
