Empire Wind project hits key federal milestone with COP approval

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today approved the Construction and Operations Plan for Equinor's Empire Wind project, marking another significant milestone in advancing an important New York offshore wind project that will help deliver on both state and federal renewable energy ambitions.

With this key permitting action by BOEM secured, Empire Wind is on track to begin construction in its federal lease area off the southern coast of Long Island later this year. Already well advanced in planning and development, Empire Wind 1 could deliver first power to New Yorkers by 2026. In addition, construction to transform the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into a major hub for offshore wind could begin as early as this spring.

"We are ready to get to work," said Molly Morris, President of Equinor Renewables Americas. "Today's COP approval follows years of rigorous review and collaboration with BOEM and other federal agencies. Equinor is grateful for a shared commitment to achieving state and federal offshore wind ambitions and Empire Wind is one step closer to delivering renewable power to hundreds of thousands of New York homes."

First submitted in 2020, the Empire Wind COP authorizes detailed plans for offshore and onshore construction and operations based on years of environmental reviews, input from outside experts, and extensive public feedback. BOEM's announcement follows the November 2023 approval of Empire Wind's federal Record of Decision.

Empire Wind has recently received several federal approvals. Last week, it received its Clean Air Act permit from the Environmental Protection Agency. Earlier this week, it received its approval from the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service in accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Empire Wind 1 is currently bidding into New York's fourth offshore wind solicitation.

About Empire Wind

Empire Wind is being developed by Equinor, a leading energy company with more than 20 years of experience with offshore wind and an already strong offshore wind portfolio with assets in key markets including the UK, Poland, Germany and South Korea. As a flagship project in the U.S., Empire Wind will help boost economic activity, build supply chains and create well-paid union jobs in the New York communities the project will serve.

Empire Wind is located 15-30 miles southeast of Long Island and spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between approximately 75 and 135 feet. The lease was acquired in 2017. The project's two phases, Empire Wind 1 and 2, have a potential capacity of more than 2 GW (810 + 1,260 MW), enough to power over 1 million New York homes. www.empirewind.com

About SBMT

The 73-acre South Brooklyn Marine Terminal ? a historic home for New York City's working waterfront ? is set to transform into one of the nation's largest dedicated port facilities for offshore wind in the U.S. and will support the staging and assembly of offshore wind turbine components for Empire Wind and the East Coast's growing offshore wind industry.

SBMT will serve as the operations and maintenance (O&M) hub for Empire Wind 1 and will be the site of the project's onshore substation. A low-emissions facility with solar power and EV charging stations installed onsite, the port will provide onshore power and charging for the Empire Wind Service Operations Vessel, the first plug-in hybrid vessel for the U.S. offshore wind industry.