Norway's Equinor may scrap U.S. offshore wind project

Norwegian energy giant Equinor has revealed it may abandon its New York offshore wind farm, which was halted by the U.S. government, if no solution is found "soon".

The U.S. administration ordered a halt to Equinor's construction of the huge wind farm last month, dealing another blow to an industry President Donald Trump opposes.

Valued by Equinor at $2.5 billion, the Empire Wind 1 project includes 54 turbines designed to deliver 810 megawatts of energy into Brooklyn, powering 500,000 homes.

"We might be forced to terminate the project if we do not reach a resolution towards U.S. federal authorities soon," Magnus Frantzen Eidsvold, an Equinor spokesman, said. 

To be built in two phases around 24–48 kilometers southeast of Long Island, it was the first offshore wind project that would have delivered power directly to New York City.

Construction began last year, and it was expected to start electricity production in 2027.

The U.S. government argued that former president Joe Biden's administration "rushed through" approval of the project "without sufficient analysis".

"The situation for the Empire Wind project is unsustainable and we need to find a way forward for the project quickly. We are actively seeking a resolution towards U.S. federal authorities to the stop work order previously issued," Eidsvold said.

He added that they did not "have further details to share on what will happen and timing for potential decisions."