Donald Trump halted the construction of a large wind farm off the coast of New York last month, but the American president has changed his mind. The Empire Wind project is intended to supply half a million households with electricity.
The 54 wind turbines are being built by the Norwegian energy company Equinor, which has now announced that the Trump administration is giving the green light after all. The Dutch company Sif is supplying the foundations for the wind turbines. More than fifteen hundred people are working on the construction of the park.
Construction was halted last month. Permits for the project had been approved too quickly by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, according to Interior Minister Doug Burgum.
Trump had also signed a decree earlier this year suspending permits for new wind projects. He believes offshore wind turbines are too expensive compared to fossil alternatives such as coal and gas.
Equinor Has Already Invested 2.5 Billion Dollars in Wind Farm
The project is now one-third complete and has already cost Equinor 2.5 billion dollars (about 2.2 billion euros). The company immediately entered into discussions with the US government after the construction was halted and considered legal action. That seems to have worked.
Kathy Hochul, the governor of the state of New York, emphasizes that the project supports the local economy and employment and points to the importance of sustainable energy. New York wants to run on 70 percent sustainable electricity from 2030.
The Dutch company Sif recently shipped the first six foundations for Empire Wind from Rotterdam. The company has also announced that the production of the foundations will continue.