Equinor’s Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project wins construction approval in New York

Equinor, opens a new tab received approval from the New York State Public Utilities Commission to begin construction of its Empire Wind 1 offshore wind farm, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Thursday.
The wind farm is scheduled to begin producing energy in 2026.
Electricity generated from offshore wind farms is important to state and U.S. goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
But the industry has been hit this year by inflation, higher interest rates and supply chain delays. In January, Equinor and BP, opens a new tab, terminated their agreement to sell power to New York state from their Empire Wind 2 offshore wind farm project.
The 810-megawatt (MW) Empire Wind 1 project will contribute to the state’s goal of developing 9,000 MW of offshore wind energy by 2035, Hochul said in a statement. Empire Wind 1 will connect to the New York City transmission system.
The approval is the last Equinor required to begin construction. In March, Equinor said it had received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.