WASHINGTON – Yesterday, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a memorandum directing the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to use its authority to halt construction activities at an offshore wind project (Empire Wind 1) off Long Island, NY.  Pasha Feinberg, Ocean Conservancy’s Director of Renewable Energy, issued the following statement in response:

“This is a tremendous blow for energy dominance in the U.S. and to the health of our ocean and all who depend on it. 

“Offshore wind has the potential to power the U.S. five times over. The Empire Wind project alone could power over 500,000 homes with clean, reliable energy. The offshore wind industry has already spurred billions of dollars of investment in the American economy and created thousands of American jobs, and could create thousands more. 

“As the Government Accountability Office report reiterated just this week, this industry is being developed in a responsible manner. Attempting to halt construction of this project–which has been in the works for more than eight years and has gone through a rigorous permitting and stakeholder engagement process–undermines American energy security, at the cost of thousands of jobs, economic growth, and the global transition to clean energy. This action could have ripple effects far beyond the offshore wind industry, signaling to all businesses that their investments in the U.S. are not safe. 

“If America chooses to halt offshore wind, it means we are locking ourselves into a future where we rely on other immensely harmful energy sources, like offshore oil and gas, to meet our energy needs. It’s a future with more catastrophic oil spills, more air pollution, and more ocean heat waves that fuel extreme weather. For the sake of our ocean, the Department of Interior must lift this stop order and allow Empire Wind’s construction to proceed on schedule.” 

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