Norwegian energy company Equinor has filed a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia challenging a suspension order that halted work on its Empire Wind offshore wind project off the New York coast.
The legal filing was submitted on January 2, 2026, after the U.S. Department of the Interior ordered a stop to construction on Empire Wind and four other major offshore wind projects over alleged national security concerns.
Empire Wind is one of the biggest U.S. offshore wind farms under construction — capable of generating 810 MW and supplying power to hundreds of thousands of homes — and its suspension jeopardizes that progress.
With around $4 billion already invested and a construction workforce in the thousands, further delays could cause serious financial and logistical setbacks.