SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND DEMAND TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IMMEDIATELY REVERSE RECKLESS PAUSE ON OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS, WARN MOVE WILL RAISE ENERGY COSTS, KILL JOBS & THREATEN GRID[...]

Trump DOI Halted Five Offshore Wind Projects, Including New York's Empire Wind 1 And Sunrise Wind, Putting Electricity For 1.1 Million Homes At Risk

In Letter To Interior and Defense Secretaries, Senators Demand Immediate Reversal Of Pause And Access To Classified Defense Reports Used To Justify Decision

After Trump's Department of the Interior (DOI) abruptly paused leases for five offshore wind projects, including two off the coast of New York, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand demanded the administration immediately reverse what they called a reckless pause that threatens to raise electricity bills, kill good-paying union jobs, and undermine grid reliability.

"Even a short pause on these fully permitted, under-construction offshore wind projects risks permanent harm," the senators said. "It will increase electricity costs for families, eliminate jobs, and weaken the reliability of our electric grid in New York and across the country."

Schumer and Gillibrand said Empire Wind 1, by Norwegian developer Equinor, and Sunrise Wind, by Danish developer Ørsted, have already begun construction and would deliver a combined 1,734 megawatts of power to New York's electric grid, enough to power approximately 1.1 million homes. If the projects do not resume, thousands of union workers risk losing their jobs and tens of millions of dollars in wages. The senators warned that halting these shovel-ready projects comes at a time of rising energy costs and shrinking reliability margins for all New Yorkers. The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO), the nonpartisan, independent electric reliability entity for New York State, has cited both Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind as projects critical to ensuring near term reliability in the New York City and Long Island regions, respectively.

The senators also emphasized that they take national security concerns seriously, noting that both developers completed all required consultations with the Department of Defense (DOD) as part of the federal permitting process. The senators also emphasized that the project developers should be granted access to the information to allow them to work with the DOD to mitigate concerns.

"As part of our constitutional oversight responsibilities, we are demanding access to the classified Department of Defense reports DOI is using to justify this pause," the senators said.

The December 22, 2025 lease pauses come after the Trump administration paused Empire Wind 1 in the spring of 2025. Since Empire Wind 1 resumed construction, Equinor has invested $1.5 billion into the project. Equinor's expected $2 billion of additional investment in 2026 is at risk if it cannot resume construction.

Schumer and Gillibrand said they will continue to press the administration to reverse course immediately and allow these projects to proceed, protecting New York's energy supply, workers, and families.

A copy of Schumer and Gillibrand's letter can be found here.

The Empire 1 wind Project, located about 14 miles southeast of Long Island, was scheduled to provide power next year with 54 turbines in the Atlantic Ocean. The project would be the first offshore wind power source connected to New York City, and the project is over 50% complete.

The Sunrise Wind project, located about 30 miles east of Montauk, was also expected to be operational around the same time. The project is about 40% complete.

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