$7 billion offshore wind farm collapses under its own weight
There’s finally some good news for Long Island residents and taxpayers: Equinor’s troubled Empire Wind project appears to be on the brink of collapse. The $7 billion offshore wind farm—planned just 14 miles off Long Beach—is now facing termination after the Trump administration issued a stop-work order, and the company says it may pull the plug within days.Equinor is reportedly burning through $50 million a week just to keep vessels and equipment on standby. Meanwhile, company officials still can’t get a straight answer on why the order was issued—possibly because the entire project was rushed through permitting without proper oversight.
But for coastal residents, fishermen, and taxpayers, the writing has been on the wall for some time. The project raised serious concerns from the beginning—environmental risks, inflated job claims, and opposition from Long Island residents who didn’t want high-voltage cables buried beneath their neighborhoods.
Even some environmental groups took issue with Equinor’s plan to hammer massive steel monopiles into the ocean floor, disrupting marine life and threatening whales and other species. Equinor originally proposed concrete foundations, but quietly switched to the more destructive pile-driving method.
While New York City politicians supported the project, Long Island communities pushed back. Local group Protect Our Coast LI has been vocal about the risks and lack of transparency, and they’re not alone.
Let’s not forget: this is a foreign-owned company that’s already invested $2.7 billion in a project that wasn’t properly vetted. They say Empire Wind would create 4,000 jobs over 30 years—but at what cost to our environment and energy grid?
This is a cautionary tale of what happens when massive green energy projects are forced on communities without accountability. Equinor says this is about “honoring contracts,” but Americans know it’s about protecting our coastline, our economy, and our national energy policy.
The offshore wind industry isn’t as clean or harmless as its marketing suggests. Projects like Empire Wind deserve real scrutiny—and it’s about time they’re finally getting it.
