Latest news with #EmpireWind1
Business Wire
20 hours ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Governor of Louisiana to Join Equinor, Edison Chouest Offshore for Christening of U.S.-Built Service Operations Vessel ECO Liberty
NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Equinor, the developer of Empire Wind 1, will join Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry, First Lady Sharon Landry, and host Edison Chouest Offshore for a christening ceremony for the ECO Liberty on Saturday, June 28, at 11 am at the Port of New Orleans. The American-made Service Operations Vessel (SOV) was built by more than 500 Louisianans and showcases the Gulf Coast's growing manufacturing role in supporting U.S. offshore wind projects. The ECO Liberty is made of American steel and includes components from several Gulf Coast states. The 262-foot hybrid-powered vessel will soon depart for New York, where it will be homeported at the newly redeveloped South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. The ECO Liberty will be deployed to support ongoing marine construction in the lease area and eventually serve as the residence for Empire Wind workers offshore.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
RFK Jr. blasts offshore windmill farms for harming marine life as he tries to save whales and ostriches: ‘Make no economic sense'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to save the whales along with the ostriches. The Secretary of Health & Human Services — who recently went to bat for nearly 400 ostriches threatened by the bird flu in Canada — doubled down Sunday on his contention that offshore windmills need to be banned because they threaten whales and other marine life. The offshore contraptions also are a costly bust as a clean-energy alternative to fossil fuels, Kennedy told WABC 770 AM's the 'Cats Roundtable' program. 7 Secretary of Health & Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doubled down Sunday on his contention that offshore windmills need to be banned. Getty Images 'We've had 109 whale groundings in the last 22 months. And they're all in the proximity of these new offshore wind farms,' said the Kennedy scion — who once famously cut off a dead whale's head on the beach and strapped it to the roof of the family's car to bring it home to reportedly study it. 'In the 20 years before that, the average whale grounding was 2.6 per year,' he told host John Catsimatidis. 'Many of these [whales] are critically endangered species. … We are going to exterminate these whales,' RFK Jr. said. 'When you put a windmill up, the cod disappear, the groundfish disappear. The fishermen are going out of business.' 7 'In the 20 years before that, the average whale grounding was 2.6 per year,' he told host John Catsimatidis. Lois GoBe – He added that many of the offshore wind companies operating in the US are foreign-owned and partner with American firms to receive massive subsidies under former President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act. 'The energy that they produce is three times the cost of an onshore wind plant. They make no economic sense,' Kennedy said. President Trump has already issued an executive order blocking approval of all new offshore wind projects, which are opposed by residents and elected officials in New York and New Jersey shore communities. 7 Many of the offshore wind companies operating in the US are foreign-owned and partner with American firms to receive massive subsidies. gudkovandrey – The president did allow one controversial offshore wind project off Long Island's coast to proceed, at the behest of Gov. Kathy Hochul and Big Apple Mayor Eric Adams. It had already received all the necessary approvals and promised an estimated 1,000 local jobs. The project, known as Empire Wind 1, is just one cog in New York's grander push to become fossil fuel-free by 2050 and is set to power 500,000 homes through green energy provided by wind turbines. But it faces steep criticism from Nassau County officials, who agree with Kennedy that the project threatens marine life and the local fishing industry. Kennedy said Sunday that he speaks to Trump 'all the time' about his opposition to offshore windmills. 7 President Trump has already issued an executive order blocking approval of all new offshore wind projects. AP As an environmental lawyer, he helped block a proposed offshore wind farm near his family's compound in Cape Cod. Trump himself is a staunch opponent of offshore wind, too, saying, 'We're not going to do the wind thing. 'Big, ugly windmills, they ruin your neighborhood. 'They destroy everything, they're horrible, the most expensive energy there is,' Trump has said. 'They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales.' 7 Kennedy said Sunday that he speaks to Trump 'all the time' about his opposition to offshore windmills. EcoView – 7 Trump himself is a staunch opponent of offshore wind, too, saying, 'We're not going to do the wind thing.' AP As for Kennedy and the ostriches, he has been appealing to Canadian officials to save the birds as part of a campaign with Catsimatidis. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has said it needs to kill hundreds of ostriches at the Universal Ostrich Farm in British Columbia to curb the spread of the avian flu there. RFK Jr., who owns an emu, stuck his neck out for the birds and is hopeful that doesn't happen. He said the ostriches survived the avian bird flu and they should be studied to determine how they became immune. 7 Kennedy has been appealing to Canadian officials to save the birds as part of a campaign with Catsimatidis. halberg – TV's Dr. Oz, who works closely with RFK as the administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, even offered his Florida ranch as a refuge for the ostriches. 'We want to get antibodies out of them. They survived bird flu. Why did they survive?,' RFK Jr. said. 'We need to know that because there are a lot of other birds that died from it.' He blamed 'bureaucratic corruption' and the lust for power for wanting to cull the ostriches.
E&E News
11-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Energy secretary is forced to defend Trump's Empire Wind rescue
Energy Secretary Chris Wright was thrust into the uncomfortable position of defending the Trump administration's decision to save a New York offshore wind project that it had pushed to the brink of collapse. Wright was pressed about the rationale for lifting a stop-work order on Empire Wind 1 during an interview Monday with Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum. The Energy secretary is an unlikely defender of the decision. A former oil executive, he has repeatedly criticized wind and solar as electricity sources since taking over the department. He also has limited authority over offshore wind development, which is located almost exclusively in federal waters and is regulated by the Interior Department. Yet his comments offer the most detailed explanation to date about the administration's move to reverse the order that had halted construction on the project in mid-April. Advertisement 'The global record of offshore wind has been a train wreck. It's just been very expensive electricity and intermittent electricity has driven prices up. But Empire Wind's a trickier issue because it's well under construction and billions have already been spent. So it's tricky what to do with midstream projects,' Wright said. 'More important for New York by far is to build the Constitution and the NESE [Northeast Energy Supply Enhancement] pipelines that can bring lower cost, cleaner energy to New Yorkers, lower the cost of home heating, lower the cost of electricity.'
E&E News
09-06-2025
- E&E News
Worker dies aboard vessel working on Empire Wind
A crew member died last week while aboard a vessel working on Empire Wind 1, an offshore wind project near New York. The incident occurred June 2 aboard the Polaris, a U.S. flagged supply vessel operated by Tidewater. The fatality was confirmed by Equinor, the project developer, which said the incident occurred while a crew member was performing vessel maintenance on a ship preparing to work on Empire Wind. Additional details were not released. 'This is a tragic marine accident,' said Molly Morris, senior vice president for Equinor Renewables Americas. 'Our thoughts are with the family, friends, and colleagues who have lost a loved one. We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected.' Advertisement The Coast Guard command center in New York 'was notified of a medevac on the vessel POLARIS and reported that a crew member was unconscious from being electrocuted,' said Coast Guard spokesperson Breanna Boardman. At the time, the 'vessel was about 27 miles off the New York Harbor' and a rescue swimmer landed and the crew member was transported to the hospital for treatment, Boardman said.
E&E News
03-06-2025
- Business
- E&E News
Wind opponents sue to stop Empire project
A coalition of fishermen and offshore wind opponents sued the Trump administration Tuesday in an attempt to stop construction of Empire Wind 1. The lawsuit seeks to reinstate a stop work order issued by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in April and comes just as the 54-turbine project under development south of Long Island prepares to commence foundation installation. Protect Our Coast New Jersey, Clean Ocean Action, ACK for Whales and a dozen fishing companies claim Burgum failed to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act when he lifted the stop work order in May. The suit, which was filed in U.S. District Court District for New Jersey, argues federal regulators illegally approved the project's permit and that it will permanently damage fisheries and the marine environment. Advertisement The lawsuit scrambles traditional political alliances around offshore wind. Wind opponents sought to walk a fine line in a press release announcing the suit, praising President Donald Trump's longtime opposition to offshore wind even as they challenged his administration's decision to allow Empire Wind 1 to move forward.
