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ARTICLE · 25 APRIL 2025

When Is A Final Approval Not The Final Word? Empire Wind Halt Raises Questions About Managing Risk For Previously Approved Infrastructure Projects

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On April 16, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a formal director's order instructing Empire Offshore Wind LLC to cease all construction activities related to the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project.

United StatesEnvironment
Steven Russo
Steven Russo

BOEM Halts Construction of Empire Wind 1

On April 16, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a formal director's order instructing Empire Offshore Wind LLC to cease all construction activities related to the Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project. The directive, citing concerns the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) raised about the project's environmental analyses, stems from a broader offshore wind review President Trump's January 2025 memorandum (90 Fed. Reg. 8363 (Jan. 29, 2025)) initiated. In the January 2025 executive order, Trump cited concerns over "alleged legal deficiencies underlying the federal government's leasing and permitting of onshore and offshore wind projects," which could lead to "grave harm—including negative impacts on navigational safety interests, transportation interests, national security interests, commercial interests and marine mammals."

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