Empire Offshore Wind LLC has filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging the Department of the Interior's order that pauses construction on the Empire Wind offshore project and several others being developed along the East Coast.
This legal action is part of a growing conflict between renewable energy developers and the Trump administration regarding offshore wind development in the region.
The lawsuit aims to obtain a preliminary injunction that would allow construction to continue while the legal proceedings are ongoing. Equinor, the Norwegian energy company behind Empire Wind, has labeled the suspension order as "unlawful" and warned that it "threatens the progress of ongoing work with significant implications for the project."
Empire Wind is currently over 60 percent complete and represents more than $4 billion in investment from Equinor, with $2.7 billion already spent. The project has a gross book value of about $3.1 billion as of September 30, 2025, which includes facilities at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, set to be the largest dedicated port for offshore wind in the country.
During its construction phase, Empire Wind has employed nearly 4,000 workers both within the lease area and through improvements at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The project is being developed under a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to produce enough electricity to power about 500,000 homes once completed.
National Security Concerns Lead to Suspension
The Department of the Interior suspended five large offshore wind projects, including Empire Wind, on December 22. This suspension was justified by national security concerns outlined in classified reports from the Trump Administration's Department of War. These projects—Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1—represent a total investment of over $10 billion and can collectively provide power to more than 2 million homes.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum stated, "The primary duty of the United States government is to protect the American people. Today's action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of related technologies and the vulnerabilities posed by large offshore wind projects near our east coast population centers."
The administration's rationale focuses on radar interference caused by large turbine blades and reflective towers, which officials claim can obscure real targets and lead to false readings.
Industry Response
Empire Wind isn't the only project taking legal action. Denmark's Ørsted announced on Friday that it is challenging the U.S. government’s suspension of its lease for the Revolution Wind joint venture, also filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and seeking a court injunction.
At the time of the suspension, Revolution Wind, a joint venture between Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables, was 80 percent complete, with offshore foundations installed and 45 out of 65 wind turbines in place. Ørsted and Skyborn Renewables had already invested about $5 billion in the project.
In a statement, Ørsted said, "Revolution Wind has spent and committed billions of dollars based on a thorough review process."
Industry groups have criticized the suspensions as unwarranted. Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, remarked, "All the projects suspended underwent rigorous national security reviews during both the Trump and Biden Administrations. This decision creates needless uncertainty for any company looking to build an energy project in the U.S."
Ongoing Disruptions
For Empire Wind, this is the second significant suspension in less than a year. Earlier in 2025, construction was previously halted when the Trump Administration ordered a stoppage as part of a broader ban on offshore wind development. Before that suspension, the project had started construction in 2024 and was already over 30% complete. This halt led Equinor to report a $763 million impairment in its second quarter 2025 financial results.
After a month-long suspension, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management lifted the work stoppage, allowing construction to resume. However, the December 22 order has imposed another halt on work.
Equinor has argued that Empire Wind has "coordinated closely with federal officials on national security reviews since it signed its lease in 2017, including with the Department of War" and is complying with all national security requirements identified during years of regulatory scrutiny.
Empire Wind and its contractors are currently following the order while continuing necessary activities to safeguard health, safety, and the environment.
Additionally, Empire Wind includes a potential second phase with a collective generating capacity of about 2.1 gigawatts.
The outcome of these legal proceedings will determine whether these multi-billion-dollar projects can continue moving forward or if the administration's security concerns will permanently affect America's offshore wind goals.