During an earnings call Wednesday morning, Equinor executives described as “unlawful” the Trump administration’s decision earlier this month to halt work on a New York offshore wind project. And they said it raised questions about the U.S. government’s willingness to honor permits.
On April 16, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a stop work order for Empire Wind I. But two weeks later, the federal government still has not communicated the reason it halted work on the 54-turbine project, Equinor Chief Financial Officer Torgrim Reitan told analysts.
“The situation around the Empire is both extraordinary and unprecedented, and we see it as sort of an unlawful act by the U.S. state, and we will treat it as that,” Reitan said. “We have permits and approvals dating back one year ago. And we have always assumed that the United States of America will honor contracts and permits they have issued.”
Burgum has said the decision is based on findings from an investigation from scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a division of the Commerce Department that regulates the fishing industry and consults on offshore wind permits. But the Interior Department has yet to release those findings or spell out exactly what NOAA found.
