Equinor says it’s “ready to go to work” on Empire Wind

Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, "We're fready to go to work"

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced its approval of Empire Wind’s Construction and Operations Plan (COP). This is the Equinor project’s final approval from BOEM, following the agency’s Record of Decision approving the project in November 2023.

“We are proud to announce BOEM’s final approval of the Empire Wind offshore wind project,” said BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein. “This project represents a major milestone in our efforts to expand clean energy production and combat climate change. The Biden-Harris administration is committed to advancing offshore wind projects like Empire Wind to create jobs, drive economic growth, and cut harmful climate pollution.”

The approved plan includes construction and operation of two offshore wind facilities, known as Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2. The lease area is located about 12 nautical miles (nm) south of Long Island, N.Y., and about 16.9 nautical miles east of Long Branch, N.J. Together these projects would have a total capacity of 2,076 megawatts of renewable energy that BOEM estimates could power more than 700,000 homes each year.

With this key permitting action by BOEM secured, the project is on track to begin construction in its federal lease area off the southern coast of Long Island later this year, says Equinor, which is developing the project. Already well advanced in planning and development, Empire Wind 1 could deliver first power to New Yorkers by 2026. In addition, construction to transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a major hub for offshore wind could begin as early as this spring.

“We are ready to get to work,” said Molly Morris, president of Equinor Renewables Americas, “Today’s COP approval follows years of rigorous review and collaboration with BOEM and other federal agencies. Equinor is grateful for a shared commitment to achieving state and federal offshore wind ambitions and Empire Wind is one step closer to delivering renewable power to hundreds of thousands of New York homes.”

Morris said nothing today about Empire Wind 2.

Previously Equinor was partnered with BP on both the Empire Wind and Beacon Wind projects but back in January the two companies announced what they called “a reset” of Empire Wind 2.

As business consultancy Intelatus Global Partners recently noted, “after reorganizing its Empire Wind and Beacon Wind portfolio, whereby Equinor takes full control of Empire Wind and BP assumes full ownership of Beacon Wind, Equinor has put Empire Wind 2 on hold, canceling several supply chain commitments. However, the company still aims to secure an offtake in the New York 4 solicitation for Empire Wind 1 and to advance the project.”