This story was initially published by Inside Climate News and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.
The construction of renewable energy projects in the northern New York State – the region which includes the Hudson valley and below – is often complicated. The space for these projects is limited, especially in New York, and they are often expensive.
Although an approach to storage of smaller batteries and solar projects can get closer to the state of its ambitious renewable energy objectives, it must be supplemented by the production of renewable energy on the scale of public services.
This is where Empire Wind 1, the first project in a massive offshore wind construction off the coast of Long Island, came. The project, which obtained a lease from the federal government in 2017, promised to create more than 1,500 jobs and, finally, 500,000 houses by building 54 wind turbines.
On Wednesday, the interior secretary, Doug Burgum, asked the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to stop all the constructions of the project “up to a more in -depth examination of the information which suggests that the Biden administration rushed by its approval without sufficient analysis”.
Since his entry into office in January, Donald Trump has expressed strong opposition to offshore wind energy, saying that he would not support the “big ugly windmills” which threaten fauna. In February, his administration dismissed the employees of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which monitored the impacts of offshore wind projects on marine fauna.
During his first day in power, the president signed an executive decree which withdrew all the parts of the continental plateau outside the new or renewed offshore rental activity and suspended the approval process for all the new Onshore and offshore wind projects. The executive decree also carried out an examination of all existing offshore leases, with possible termination.
An Equinor spokesperson, Norwegian Energy Company behind Empire Wind 1, said the construction would stop on the project. Wind LLC offshore empire, the limited liability company in charge of the project, “engages with the relevant authorities to clarify this case and envisages its legal appeals, including the call for the order,” said the spokesperson by email.
The Trump administration’s work order may have significant ramifications for the climatic objectives of New York State and the growth of green employment opportunities in the northern state region. About 44% of New York census sectors are home to low -income communities that have experienced a disproportionate quantity of negative pollution impacts.
When climatic targets are delayed or employment possibilities between starters do not materialize, these communities are often the first to suffer.
The Empire Wind 1 project promised to bring green union jobs to the northern state region. Equinor strives to redevelop the marine terminal, which will house the long -term operations and maintenance basis of the project, in collaboration with the New York City Economic Development Corporation and the operator of the Sustainable South Brooklyn Terminal Terminal Terminal.
This is particularly beneficial for the New York district of Sunset Park, an overloaded ecological community located near the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, which fought to be included in the plans.
“Our community is fighting for years to ensure that Sunset Park would be part of the solutions to reduce carbon emissions, strengthen healthier and green energy and provide new local union jobs,” a statement from the office of the Alexa Aviles, which represents the district of the city which includes Sunset Park.
These projects should include at least 1,000 construction jobs, 130 apprentices, 200 assembly jobs at the marine terminal and 50 permanent and long -term jobs to maintain the Empire Project project, according to the mayor’s office.
The city considered green jobs as a route for low-income New Yorkers, or those without a university diploma, to increase their gain potential. But as green employment growth has slowed down, major projects such as Empire Wind 1 have become even more important.
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“The reckless and excessive move to stop the construction that is already underway on Empire Wind threatens thousands of good union jobs and endangers the progress that New York made towards cleaner and more affordable energy,” wrote Vincent Alvarez, president of the Central Labor Council of New York, in a statement.
Esther Rosario, the executive director of the Climate Jobs work coalition, said that union merchants were to be on a ship next week for the monopile installation, which leads the foundations of wind turbines in the seabed.
“This means that in two weeks, these workers will not have a pay check,” said Rosario.
The state climate law has established the target of a 70% of renewable origin by 2030.
Earlier this year, Inside Climate News reported that this calendar should already be delayed and that the number of renewable projects planned for the New York State region is very low.
“We must redouble our efforts at the level of the state, in particular at the bottom of the state, to start new generation projects,” said Alexander Patterson, campaign of the campaign for Public Power Ny, who fights for a larger construction of renewable energies. “It is only the last of a long line of projects to be canceled, whether due to wind contrary or inflation, and now political opposite winds.”
Stopping the construction at Empire Wind 1 could lead to new delays for the energy transition of the State. The Trump administration order is also likely to sow uncertainty far beyond the northern New York State regions.
“If we now have a situation where each change of administration could signify the revocation of permit and orders of stopping work, I think that breaks the certainty that we have progressed,” said Rob Freudenberg, vice-president of energy and environmental programs in the regional region, a civic organization that examines the way of improving the quality of life in the Tristate region. “This should resonate beyond the offshore wind industry itself.”
