Empire Wind Farm Off Long Branch Files Lawsuit, Asks Judge To Allow Work To Resume Under Trump Pause

LONG BRANCH, NJ — On Friday, Empire Offshore Wind LLC filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. federal government's Dec. 22 order pausing all offshore wind farms in the U.S.

Empire Wind, which is currently being built 19 miles off Long Branch, is asking a federal judge to grant an injunction (a halt to President Trump's order), and allow construction to resume while the case is resolved in court.

"The order is in Equinor’s view unlawful, and threatens the progress of ongoing work with significant implications for the project," Equinor, the owner of Empire Wind, said Jan. 2.

Currently, Empire Wind is about 60 percent complete, the company says. As Patch reported this summer, they started installing monopiles into the ocean floor in July and August. However, on Dec. 22, President Donald Trump's administration cited national security concerns and ordered a pause on all offshore wind farms in the United States — including Vineyard Wind off Martha's Vineyard and Sunrise Wind off Rhode Island, both of which have been in operation for years.

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Borgum, a Republican Trump appointee, said movement of the massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers can interfere with U.S. military radar.

Empire Wind is the first and only wind farm off New Jersey to actually begin construction. All the power generated by Empire Wind will go to New York state; it will not go to New Jersey homes. Empire Wind is owned by Norwegian renewable energy company Equinor, which is owned by the Kingdom of Norway. Equinor has a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to provide electric power to approximately 500,000 homes in New York.

Equinor said Jan. 2 the wind farm is at a "critical period of execution." Equinor said it has already invested $4 billion U.S. dollars into the project, $2.7 billion of which it took out in loans. Their construction phase alone put nearly 4,000 people to work.

Trump Again Pauses All Offshore Wind Farms, Including Empire Wind 19 Miles Off Long Branch (December 2025)

Empire Wind Farm 19 Miles Off Long Branch Is '40 Percent Complete,' Company Says (August 2025)