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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.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Historic deal pushes sweeping reform across commercial shipping: 'The first industry in the world with internationally mandated targets'
For the first time, commercial shipping companies will be required to transition to cleaner fuels or they will face fines. According to the BBC, after nearly a decade of negotiations, countries in the UN's International Maritime Organization agreed on a way to combat polluting gases from ships. The deal passed on April 11. The deal requires large international vessels to adopt less toxic fuel sources and increase their use or face fines of "up to $380 per ton" of polluting gases released from burning the fuel, per the BBC. The BBC said, "The agreement means it is now the first industry in the world with internationally mandated targets to reduce emissions." Jesse Fahnestock, director of decarbonisation at the Global Maritime Forum, said, "[It] is to be celebrated." So what kind of fuels could these ships use? According to the European Maritime Safety Agency, there are many options available for vessels that could "enter the market relatively quickly," including "e-ammonia, e-hydrogen, e-diesel, e-methane, and e-methanol." Companies are working on these alternatives. For example, a Norwegian-based shipping company, Yara, created the first container ship to run on clean ammonia. It's expected to set sail in 2026 and travel between Norway and Germany. Another Norwegian company, Purus Maritime, purchased hydrogen fuel worth $2.75 million for a hybrid ship it commissioned. In addition to hydrogen, it will also run on e-methanol, and it features solar panels and batteries. According to the BBC, shipping accounts for about 3% of global heat-trapping gases, but the industry has had a hard time cutting its pollution because of costs. However, the fines in this deal will go into a fund for more environmentally friendly fuel. The shipping industry currently has a negative impact on human health. The World Resource Institute said toxic gases affect the respiratory system and put people at risk of heart and lung disease. Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Adopting cleaner fuel sources will protect human health and the ocean's health. Economist Impact said reducing polluting gases "will help preserve marine biodiversity [and] restore degraded ecosystems." While this deal is the first of its kind, Fahnestock believes more needs to be done. You can use your voice to let your representatives know you want stricter rules in the shipping industry to reduce the risk of human and ocean health effects. Additionally, you could invest in companies working on alternative fuel sources and ships run by them. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
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.'
New York Post
24-04-2025
- Business
- New York Post
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. 5 NYC Mayor Eric Adams, NYPD Commissioner Jennifer TIsch and Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry join community members at Reworld in Westbury, NY on April 24, 2025 for a press event. James Messerschmidt '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. 5 President Donald Trump and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere shake hands, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 24, 2025. REUTERS 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. 5 An operational wind turbine at the South Fork Wind Farm in the Atlantic Ocean off of Long Island, New York on Dec. 7, 2023. Newsday via Getty Images '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. 5 The above map shows where the wind farm would be in relation to New York's coast. Empire Wind 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. 5 Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, other politicians and community members, announcing opposition to an offshore wind energy construction and also Battery storage facilities. Brigitte Stelzer 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.'
