(Reuters) -U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Wednesday he was directing his agency to halt construction on Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind project off the coast of New York.
In a post on X, Burgum said information suggested the Biden administration rushed the project’s approval without sufficient environmental analysis.
Burgum said he had consulted with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Commerce houses the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is involved in permitting offshore wind facilities.
The Interior department decision stems from a review of offshore wind permitting and leasing that President Donald Trump ordered on his first day back in the Oval Office in January. Interior officials were not immediately available for further comment.
Empire Wind was approved by the administration of former President Joe Biden in November of 2023.
The lease area, which will house two projects, is located 12 nautical miles south of Long Island, New York. The facilities together are expected to generate enough electricity to power 700,000 homes a year.
The project was expected to start producing power in 2027. It is a key part of New York state’s efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and combat climate change.
Neither Norway’s Equinor nor New York state officials were immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by Chris Reese)
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