Equinor Files Lawsuit to Save Empire Wind Project From Second Trump Suspension

Empire Offshore Wind LLC filed a civil suit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday, challenging the Department of the Interior’s order suspending construction on the Empire Wind offshore wind project and a handful of others under development along the U.S. East Coast.

The legal action marks the latest flashpoint in an escalating battle between renewable energy developers and the Trump administration over offshore wind development along the East Coast.

The lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction that would allow construction to continue while litigation proceeds, with Equinor—the Norwegian energy giant behind Empire Wind—calling the suspension order “unlawful” and warning it “threatens the progress of ongoing work with significant implications for the project.”

Empire Wind is more than 60 percent complete and represents over $4 billion in investment by Equinor, with $2.7 billion already drawn under project financing. The project carries a gross book value of approximately $3.1 billion as of September 30, 2025, including the under the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, set to become the nation’s largest dedicated port facility for offshore wind. 

Empire Wind’s construction phase alone has employed nearly 4,000 workers, both within the lease area and through the revitalization of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The project is being developed under contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to deliver enough electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes once completed.

National Security Concerns Drive Suspension

The December 22 suspension order from the Department of the Interior affected five large offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast, citing national security concerns identified in classified reports from the Trump Administration’s Department of War. The projects—Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1—represent a combined investment exceeding $10 billion and collectively can power more than 2 million homes.

“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers.”

The administration’s justification centers on radar interference created by massive turbine blades and reflective towers, which officials say can obscure legitimate targets and generate false readings.

Industry Pushback

Empire Wind isn’t alone in its legal fight. Denmark’s Ørsted announced Friday it was challenging the U.S. government’s suspension of the lease for its Revolution Wind joint venture, also filing in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seeking a court injunction.

Revolution Wind, an Ørsted joint venture with Skyborn Renewables, had reached 80 percent completion at the time of the suspension, with all offshore foundations installed and 45 of 65 wind turbines in place. Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables had already spent or committed about $5 billion for the project.

“Revolution Wind has spent and committed billions of dollars in reliance upon, and has met the requests of, a thorough review process,” Ørsted said in a statement.

Industry groups have condemned the suspensions as unjustified. “All the projects suspended [sic] underwent rigorous national security reviews during the first Trump and Biden Administrations,” said Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association. “[This week’s] decision creates needless uncertainty for any company that seeks to build an energy project in the United States.”

A Pattern of Disruption

For Empire Wind, this marks the second major suspension in less than a year. The project faced a previous stoppage earlier in 2025 when the Trump Administration ordered an immediate halt to activities as part of a broader halt on offshore wind development ordered by President Trump. The project, which began construction in 2024, was more than 30% complete before the work stoppage. That suspension prompted Equinor to report a $763 million impairment in its second quarter 2025 financial results.

After the month-long suspension, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management lifted the stop work order, allowing construction activities to resume. The project had been back in execution mode until the December 22 order brought work to another halt.

Equinor has maintained that Empire Wind “has coordinated closely with federal officials on national security reviews since it executed its lease for the project in 2017, including with the Department of War,” and is complying with all relevant national security requirements identified during years of regulatory review.

Empire and its contractors are currently complying with the order while continuing activities required to prevent impacts to health, safety and the environment.

Empire Wind additionally includes a potential second phase with a collective generating capacity of approximately 2.1 gigawatts.

The legal proceedings will now determine whether these multi-billion-dollar projects can proceed toward completion or whether the administration’s security concerns will permanently alter the trajectory of America’s offshore wind ambitions.

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