Empire Wind

Empire Wind is a planned offshore wind farm in the New York Bight off the coasts of New York and New Jersey, U.S., approximately 15–30 miles (24–48 km) south of Long Island. It is being developed by a 50–50 joint venture between Equinor (Norway) and bp (UK), with the project divided into two phases – Empire Wind 1 and Empire Wind 2 – having a combined potential capacity of over 2 gigawatts (816 MW + 1,260 MW). The wind farm is sited in federal lease area OCS-A 0512 (called “Hudson North”) and is intended to supply renewable electricity to New York State, contributing to its clean energy goals.

The first phase, Empire Wind 1, has a planned capacity of 810–816 MW and was originally expected to begin operation by the mid-2020s. Due to permitting and grid interconnection delays, its completion target was pushed back by about 18 months to the end of 2026, and New York authorities now list its expected commercial operation date as 2027. Empire Wind 1 will consist of around 60–80 turbines (each with an installed capacity of more than 15 MW) and will deliver power via a subsea cable coming ashore in Brooklyn. The second phase, Empire Wind 2, is approximately 1.2 GW and was slated to come online later in the decade, bringing the project's total capacity to over 2 GW (enough to power about one million homes).

Both Empire Wind 1 and 2 were initially awarded long-term power offtake contracts by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). The power purchase agreement for Empire Wind 2 was terminated in January 2024, but the project itself remains ongoing. Empire Wind 1's contract, which was maintained, continues toward construction and operation on the adjusted schedule. The project has achieved key regulatory milestones, including approval of an environmental review from the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and approval of an onshore grid connection from New York state for Empire Wind 1's transmission line. In early 2024, Equinor agreed to take full ownership of Empire Wind (Empire Wind 1 and 2), while bp took full ownership of the separate Beacon Wind project off New England. Following this swap, Equinor re-submitted Empire Wind 1 into New York's latest offshore wind solicitation; Empire Wind 2 would be bid into a future solicitation once economic conditions improve. The first phase of the Empire Wind project (under Equinor's lead) is expected to be operational by 2027.