A coalition of commercial fishers, conservation groups, seafood processors, and a local mayor has filed an emergency motion seeking to block the development of Empire Wind, an offshore wind project planned off the coast of the U.S. state of New York.
In their suit, the groups claim that the wind energy operations will cause substantial harm to the commercial fishing sector while threatening endangered whales and damaging the seafloor.
“To allow Empire Wind to continue construction is to abandon us fishermen and our coastal communities who have, for generations, fed our great country and kept local economies thriving,” Captain Shawn Machie of the New Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based F/V Capt. John, said in a statement. “To turn a blind eye to the marine mammal deaths and destruction of ocean habitats is careless and shows a greed unlike any I’ve ever encountered.”
The Empire Wind 1 project is a USD 5 billion (EUR 4.3 billion) investment that will see 54 turbines installed off the New York coast. The project moved forward under the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden and was roughly one-third completed, but the Trump administration issued a stop-work order in April – a move that many suspected could kill the development.
However, the Trump administration quickly reversed course, allowing construction to continue 19 May.
“We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs,” Anders Opedal, president and CEO of Equinor, the group behind Empire Wind, said in a statement. “I would like to thank President Trump for finding a solution that saves thousands of American jobs and provides for continued investments in energy infrastructure in the U.S.”
Now, the lawsuit seeks a preliminary injunction to block construction of the wind facility. The groups claim ...
