New York’s massive Empire Wind project has received the green light from the White House in exchange for the approval of two natural gas pipelines that would have to travel through New York State.
When the news first broke that President Trump’s White House had agreed to let the offshore wind development proceed, I was confused. This infrastructure was on hold pending a review. The Biden Administration allegedly cut some environmental corners in its mad dash to approve as many wind projects as possible before the November 2024 elections. Our reporting on the Gulf of Maine project shows living proof of this. Mr. Trump’s moratorium appeared to indicate that we might see the hastily sold lease agreements canceled. Then this.
President Donald Trump ordered his administration to lift an April stop work order halting a massive offshore wind farm being constructed off the coast of New York in exchange for the advancement of two natural gas pipeline projects, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.
The early reports were short on details, so I sat on it, waiting for a sign that Trump was not backing off, or at least how it was orchestrated. Patience is, indeed, its own reward. While I’m no fan of the risk to sea life this massive development represents, I should have suspected. Everything to Trump is a negotiating tool. You want that wind farm for your goofy energy portfolio; I need something from you.
“The president is not a fan of offshore wind and is very much a fan of natural gas and coal,” the official told the Free Beacon. “He basically made the argument that you need more of that into the northeast and into New York.”
“So he agreed that Empire Wind can move forward—it’s still under review by Interior, but it can technically move forward,” the official said. “The stop work order was lifted, and Gov. Hochul agreed that she would meet with and move forward on the two major pipelines that are natural gas pipelines into New England and New York.”
The Empire Wind Project is still under environmental and procedural review but the stop work order is lifted in exchange for a promise to expedite permitting and that would allow what is presumed to be the Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline and Constitution Pipeline to carry Natural Gas up into New York and New England.
Longtime readers will know that we’ve been grinding that axe for a long time. Energy growth in the Northeast has to include natural gas, and shipping it here isn’t enough. Assuming Hocul isn’t playing games or expecting environmental groups and courts to do her dirty work with direct action tactics and lawsuits, this is an improvement.
Of course, I am suspicious and unwilling to count my cubic feet before they’ve arrived. Democrat opposition is legendary, as is New York State’s blockade on allowing gas from Pennsylvania and points west to find customers in New England. The anti-pipeline crowd will not sit down for this, so we wait and see. Expeditied will not mean what we think it means.
As for Wind in general, Trump has sent a signal. While the reviews are underway, there is a path forward. If you can give the Administration something it wants, it is willing to help you get something you want. I don’t want offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine, so I’m hoping there’s nothing we can offer that would lift any hold on that project. Unlike Empire Wind, nothing has been started. The Gulf of Maine leases were sold, but nothing has happened since. The engineering isn’t likely to have even begun. We can still stop it dead in its tracks.
With nothing held to barter with, there is no incentive for the Trump Administration to do anything but slow walk the review or kill it outright.
As for Nat Gas, we’re not there yet, and I don’t trust Hocul or New York Democrats (activists, courts, etc) just to let this happen. But the agreement, while I’m no fan of offshore wind, is a step or two in the right direction, and the Trump Administration is still doing its review, which it can hold over Hocul’s head if things do not appear to be moving.
We will be watching.
