The first offshore wind turbine is installed at the South Fork Wind project offshore New York. Photo courtesy New York State

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced a $300 million competitive solicitation on Friday to support maritime port development projects aimed at strengthening the state’s offshore wind supply chain, even as the broader industry grapples with significant regulatory and financial challenges.

The Port Infrastructure Request for Proposals will fund upgrades to load bearing capacity, wharf extensions, and other improvements designed to support offshore wind manufacturing, staging, and logistics while maintaining multi-use flexibility for container handling, vessel repair, and other commercial activities.

“To continue building out New York’s maritime assets as well as the offshore wind sector, we need ports capable of supporting multiple industries and technologies,” said NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris. “This solicitation will facilitate port development to support offshore wind projects through investments in multi-purpose ports that can withstand demand fluctuations for products and services from any market, helping to ensure stability, while driving economic development opportunities over the near- and long-term for New York.”

The announcement comes as the offshore wind industry faces mounting pressures. A federal judge recently struck down the Trump administration’s directive to halt federal approvals for new wind energy projects, finding the agencies’ implementation of the order unlawful and arbitrary. New York led a coalition of 17 states and the District of Columbia in challenging the directive after the Interior Department ordered Norway’s Equinor to halt construction on its Empire Wind project off New York’s coast.

The broader industry has seen its project pipeline slashed from 45 projects to 23 between the third quarters of 2024 and 2025, with planned capacity dropping from 55.9 gigawatts to 25.4 gigawatts, according to the Energy Industries Council (EIC). The contraction stems primarily from policy changes under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which requires projects to start construction by July 4, 2026 to secure tax-credit eligibility, or begin service by December 31, 2027. Roughly 83 percent of projects are not aligned with these deadlines.

Financial pressures have been severe. Stop-work costs reached up to $50 million per week on the Empire Wind project. Equinor reported a $763 million impairment related to Empire Wind 1 and South Brooklyn Marine Terminal development in its second quarter 2025 financial results, part of a larger $955 million write-down attributed to regulatory changes and increased tariff exposure.

Trade measures have compounded challenges, with duties of 10 to 15 percent on goods from the EU and UK and up to 50 percent on some steel and aluminum affecting critical components including blades, towers, nacelles and cables. The Department of Transportation’s decision to rescind $679 million in port grants has further slowed infrastructure upgrades.

New York’s $300 million solicitation will be available through multiple rounds until fully committed, repurposing $200 million previously allocated for the 2024 Offshore Wind Supportive Manufacturing and Logistics solicitation. Final proposals for round one are due by 3:00 p.m. ET on March 26, 2026.

“The investments into New York’s waterfronts are projected to create thousands of good-paying jobs across the state, and the New York State Department of Labor stands ready to develop our workforce to take advantage of these new opportunities,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon.

Rebecca Groundwater, EIC Global Head of External Affairs, emphasized the critical need for regulatory stability. “Policy clarity will be decisive in determining whether these projects move forward or stay in limbo,” she said. “Stable, predictable frameworks are what investors need to turn uncertainty into action and position the US to reclaim momentum in offshore wind development.”

Despite challenges, construction has resumed on the Empire Wind project and Equinor maintains its 2027 commercial operation target date for Empire Wind 1. The $5 billion project is designed to power 500,000 New York homes and includes redevelopment of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal into what is set to become the nation’s largest dedicated port facility for offshore wind.

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