The Trump administration has released a completely redacted version of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) study that Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited as justification for halting construction on the Empire Wind I project off New York’s coast earlier this year. The 27-page document, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by POLITICO’s E&E News, contains no visible findings despite being referenced by Burgum when he claimed the Biden administration “rushed approval” of the project based on “flawed science.” Interior cited “deliberative process privilege” to withhold the entire content. The construction stoppage, which lasted about a month before being lifted in May 2025, reportedly cost Equinor tens of millions of dollars and contributed to a $955 million financial hit to the company. The administration’s handling of the report has raised questions about transparency and created additional uncertainty for offshore wind developers and investors. E&E News has appealed the decision to withhold the study’s contents. More information can be found here.
