The buildout of renewable energy projects in downstate New York—the region that includes the Hudson Valley and below—is often complicated. The space for these projects is limited, particularly in New York City, and they’re often expensive.
Though an approach of smaller battery storage and solar projects could inch the state closer to its ambitious renewable energy goals, it must be complemented by utility-scale renewable energy generation.
That’s where Empire Wind 1, the first project in a massive buildout of offshore wind off the coast of Long Island, came in. The project, which was granted a lease from the federal government in 2017, promised to create over 1,500 jobs and ultimately power 500,000 homes by building 54 wind turbines.
On Wednesday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum instructed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt all construction on the project “until further review of…
