The state’s mixed climate victory is a blueprint for perseverance and pragmatism
Amid the relentless drumbeat of news, climate setbacks, policy reversals, and economic uncertainty, it’s easy to overlook the rare, good news. But with the lifting of a “stop-work order” on New York’s $2.5 billion Empire Wind offshore project earlier this month, we have a significant win for clean energy and a safer climate future. It’s the first actual good climate story in the US since Donald Trump was reelected. And it’s also his first climate policy reversal.
However, the victory for wind comes with a potentially heavy cost. This week, Williams Companies relaunched two controversial gas pipeline projects in the State, triggering widespread speculation that it was part of the deal with the Trump Administration. New York Governor Kathy Hochul denied any quid pro quo and conceded that she was more open to approving gas pipelines. Hochel said it was part of an “all of the above” energy strategy that focuses more on gas and nuclear, aiming to reduce energy costs for New Yorkers, as long as all rules and regulations are met to power the state. It is a dramatic step away from the State’s long-term skepticism of gas and more aligned with the energy policies of Trump’s Energy Secretary, Chris Wright.
Energy policy in the Trump Era
Welcome to the sober reality of Trump Administration deal-making, where trade-offs are the new normal. In this case, Hochul is opting for a deal that will add significantly more clean energy to the grid than dirty fossil fuels transported through pipelines.
The State’s Empire Wind Project, developed by Norwegian-based Equinor, is an ambitious public/private offshore wind project that has been in development for nearly a decade. Once the full project is completed, it will power more than 1 million homes with clean electricity, which is key if New York is to meet its goal of obtaining 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and nine gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035.
The Empire Wind project will power more than 1 million homes with clean electricity
The project is not just about climate — it’s about equity, affordability, and resilience. From the revitalization of New York City’s South Brooklyn Marine Terminal to Albany’s Port of Coeymans, the project also serves as a powerful jobs magnet. It will inject $1.6 billion into New York State’s economy, employ 1,500 workers in construction, and bring in $195 million in fresh income for the State. It is especially critical on Long Island, where offshore wind offers the region a path toward more stable, affordable, and sustainable energy.
A sudden stop—and a strategic response
That’s why the Trump administration’s sudden stop-work order in April sent shockwaves through the region and the clean energy industry globally. While the president has not been subtle about his dislike for clean energy, and wind in particular, the sudden order, with no prior warning or rationale, was widely seen as an arbitrary and capricious political maneuver.
Ironically, the federal permitting process for Empire Wind actually began during the first Trump administration, with the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management conducting lease sales and environmental reviews as early as 2018. The project is also backed by a US-based supply chain with investments spanning New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, and South Carolina — creating jobs and manufacturing opportunities. Despite his vendetta against clean energy development, Empire Wind is delivering on the president’s stated national energy goals: jobs, a manufacturing resurgence, energy security, and independence.
Despite his vendetta against clean energy development, Empire Wind is delivering on the president’s stated national energy goals: jobs, energy security, and independence.
A long-term vision, disrupted
As the year began, all systems were on go following an extensive environmental review across two administrations. With the final federal government and project financing secured, construction began.
However, it was not long before the new Trump administration shut it down. The consequences were immediate and severe. Equinor was reportedly losing up to $50 million per week. Projects were paused. Workforce planning was disrupted. Contracts and supply chains were thrown into limbo.
How to reverse this shocking stop order?
The question on the minds of many was how the State would react to Trump’s brazen action. The response surprised many. While Governor Kathy Hochul publicly expressed frustration and disappointment, behind the scenes, she opted for a different strategy – one of calm, coordinated, and relentless engagement. No lawsuits were ever filed by the State, developer, or other impacted parties to restart the project. Nor were there any high-profile protests.
Instead, Hochul — herself a mother and grandmother — spent Mother’s Day personally calling President Trump to make her case: this wasn’t just about turbines or whales or cancer scares — it was about real people. Workers. Families. More importantly, it would disproportionately affect his voters in Long Island.
Equinor, too, deserves credit. Its restraint in the face of massive financial loss bought time for the negotiations to work. They could have escalated. There were rumors of lawsuits. But they too remained calm.
A compromise?
Did Trump listen? We will never know the actual cause, but 33 days later, the stop-work order was lifted, and construction resumed. The damage, though severe, is reversible, and people are back at work. “We don’t realize how close the offshore wind industry was to collapsing,” Esther Rosario, executive director of Climate Jobs NY, told Politico, adding Hochul and Trump “saw eye-to-eye on this and we’re able to put union members back to work.”
A victory for gas and wind?
Both sides proclaimed victory. The Trump administration announced plans to fast-track new gas pipelines in the Northeastern United States. Hochul saved a signature national renewable energy project, and Hochul hopes to score points with voters, many of whom are more interested in the cost of electricity than saving the planet. The new pipelines could reduce the cost of gas, albeit at the expense of increased carbon emissions. Environmentalists are hoping the pipelines are not a done deal. Any new pipeline will need actual customer demand and will face the treacherous New York State environmental permitting regime.
Purple energy policy
With the pipeline future far from resolved, Empire Wind’s restart offers a blueprint for future energy policy nationwide. It shows what can happen when public leaders remain disciplined, but pragmatic, developers act with integrity, and communities and advocates stay calm while maintaining quiet pressure.
It reminds us that while climate policy is often portrayed in red and blue, the actual work of building clean infrastructure is a decades-long effort and deeply bipartisan
It also reminds us that while climate policy is often portrayed as either red or blue, the emerging reality is more nuanced, leaning towards a shade of purple. It’s also a reminder that building energy infrastructure is a decades-long effort and deeply bipartisan, as evidenced by this project’s roots in the first Trump term and its revival under a second.
Most importantly, New York’s mixed victory signals a new emphasis on seeking pragmatic solutions to previously polarized energy policymaking. Rather than demanding winner-takes-all agreements, both sides are increasingly realistic about balancing the convenience of fossil fuels with the opportunity to build a new energy infrastructure that will not only reduce atmospheric carbon but also provide new economic growth for the State.