A Federal Judge has issued a temporary injunction allowing Empire Wind, the off-shore wind project off the coast of Long Island, to resume construction after the Trump Administration abruptly suspended work there in late December. In Court documents, the developer stated the project would likely be terminated if it was not allowed to resume work by the end of last week because the suspension of work would disrupt its construction schedule, increase costs and form an existential threat to the project’s financing. In issuing his decision, the Judge said the suspension would cause “irreparable harm” to the project. The injunction allows the Empire Wind Project to continue while its case proceeds through the Court System, but it is not a final ruling. The Empire Wind Project is currently around 60% complete and has cost $4 billion to date. The company was granted a lease from the Federal Government in 2017 and plans to power 500,000 homes through the project, building 54 wind turbines. The project has also created more than 1,000 jobs in the area and will ultimately help revitalize the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, a Port Facility in Sunset Park. Climate Jobs NY Executive Director Esther Rosario said: “This ruling sends a clear message: Attempts to halt Empire Wind put real Workers, real communities and New York’s energy future at risk. Empire Wind is exactly the kind of project New York should be fighting for, providing thousands of good, Union jobs while building cleaner, more affordable energy in our State.”

For More On This Labor News Story, Go To: New York Offshore Wind Project Allowed to Restart Construction—for Now - Inside Climate News

Photo Courtesy Of The New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council.