Judge Clears Empire Wind Project

A federal judge, Carl J. Nichols, cleared the way for the Empire Wind project, owned by Equinor, to resume construction in United States — New York (state). This ruling came after the Trump administration had frozen five major offshore wind projects on the East Coast, including Empire Wind, citing national security concerns. The judge faulted the government for not adequately responding to key points in Empire Wind's court filings. This is the second such victory for developers this week, following a ruling by Senior Judge Royce Lamberth that allowed Hans Christian Ørsted's Our Revolution project to proceed. Other companies like Dominion Energy and the owners of Vineyard Wind are also challenging the administration's pause. United States — New York (state) Governor Kathy Hochul applauded the decision, criticizing the national security claims as 'bogus'. Opponents, such as Protect Our Coast New Jersey, continue to advocate for halting these projects.