Equinor disputes the US directive to halt the Empire Wind project.

Norwegian energy company Equinor announced on Friday that it has initiated a civil lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against an order from the U.S. Department of the Interior which halted its Empire Wind project.

Equinor stated that as part of this case, they intend to request a preliminary injunction to allow construction to proceed while the litigation is ongoing.

Recently, the Trump administration suspended leases for five significant offshore wind developments currently underway off the U.S. East Coast, citing national security concerns, which caused a sharp decline in shares of offshore wind companies.

This suspension represents another setback for offshore wind developers who have encountered continuous interruptions to their multi-billion-dollar initiatives during U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, who has criticized wind turbines as unattractive, expensive, and inefficient.

Denmark's Orsted also announced on Friday that it is contesting the U.S. government's lease suspension for its Revolution Wind joint venture and plans to seek a court injunction against the decision to pause its $5 billion offshore project.

Equinor emphasized that seeking a preliminary injunction is essential to keep the Empire Wind project on schedule during this vital execution phase and to mitigate further commercial and financing repercussions if the order remains in place.

The company noted that Empire Wind is being developed in partnership with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The project is over 60% complete and constitutes a significant investment in U.S. energy infrastructure, job creation, and supply chains, according to Equinor.