Judge Allows Resumption of Empire Wind Project Amid Legal Battle

Thu Jan 15 2026 21:15:26 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A federal judge has ruled in favor of the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to continue despite a Trump administration order to pause it, which developers argued could jeopardize the project's future.

In a significant ruling, District Judge Carl J. Nichols permitted the Empire Wind project to resume construction while deliberating on the government's pause order. The judge criticized the administration for inadequate responses to the project's legal challenges. Norwegian company Equinor, which owns Empire Wind, stated that the construction halt could have endangered the project, now 60% complete and aiming to power over 500,000 homes. This ruling follows a series of legal victories for developers in the renewable energy sector against the government's recent energy moratoriums.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has approved the continuation of the Empire Wind project, allowing its construction to resume despite a recent Trump administration order to pause the undertaking. This ruling marks a critical moment for the developer, Equinor, which argued that the cessation would likely end the project within days.

District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee, made his decision to permit construction while he evaluates the validity of the government's suspension order. He pointedly criticized the government for its lack of response to vital aspects of Empire Wind's legal filings, including claims of procedural violations.

Equinor's Empire Wind is one of several offshore wind projects targeted by the Trump administration in an effort to halt development citing national security concerns. The administration had previously frozen five major offshore wind developments along the East Coast.

In court, the developers of Empire Wind argued that the project's future hangs in the balance, as construction has already reached 60% completion and is expected to supply electricity for over 500,000 homes. The company signaled that significant losses coupled with the limited availability of specialized vessels could endanger the project if construction delays were prolonged.

Other developers, including a Danish company, delayed or shifted their projects due to similar challenges and the regulatory climate initiated by the prior administration.

While Judge Nichols emphasized the government must substantiate its security claims, he hinted that a total halt seems unwarranted given the nature of national security risks involved, particularly during the construction phase.

Molly Morris, Equinor's senior vice president, expressed the company’s commitment to continue developing this project as a key component of New York's renewable energy infrastructure.