ALBANY — The federal administration’s highly irregular action to delay an already permitted, under-construction electric generating project is both hypocritical and harmful. 

It is hypocritical because the President has declared an energy crisis. Preventing the construction and operation of this thoroughly and carefully reviewed offshore wind project runs counter to that declaration.  

It is hypocritical because the President has stated a desire to remove barriers to innovation.  This permitted 800-megawatt electric generation facility reflects cutting edge technology to harness wind energy, which was designed to provide enough clean electricity to power about 500,000 homes in New York.

The federal action is harmful because the actions put at risk the employment of hundreds of New Yorkers, including 1,000 good-paying union jobs as part of a growing sector that has already spurred significant economic development and billions in private investment throughout the state and beyond.  

It is harmful because—like the on-again off-again tariffs—pulling the rug out from a project that already received the required federal permits a year ago frustrates business predictability, hampers financial investment and ultimately increases costs. 

Amid the chaos, one thing is crystal clear: the responsibility for the loss of this significant economic opportunity and its good-paying jobs falls squarely on the federal administration. We applaud Governor Hochul’s stance to fight this every step of the way to protect union jobs, affordable energy and New York’s economic future.

Stopping an already fully permitted project is bad for New York workers, bad for New York energy needs, and bad for business. This action shows the world that federal commitments aren’t worth the paper they are printed on.