STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — As New York Gov. Kathy Hochul slams President Donald Trump and his administration for pausing wind energy permits, the fate of Arthur Kill Terminal hangs in the balance.
“President Trump’s presidential order halting the development of wind energy threatens thousands of good-paying jobs and jeopardizes our ability to build a reliable, affordable and clean energy grid for the benefit of all New Yorkers. Like virtually all the executive orders issued by the president thus far, it sows chaos and upsets the critical regulatory clarity needed for businesses to effectively operate in New York and around the country,” Hochul said in a written statement today.
She finished the statement with some big news for wind energy companies: “New York is not backing down without a fight — we are suing the federal government in litigation just announced by Attorney General Letitia James. We must not allow this federal overreach to stand."
This announcement comes after Rep. Nicole Malliotakis petitioned two high-level military officials to approve a permit for the construction of Arthur Kill Terminal on Staten Island’s South Shore.
Arthur Kill Terminal, which has been in the planning stages for over five years, is meant to function as a specialized port at the foot of the Outerbridge Crossing where offshore wind turbines and towers could be assembled and staged before being brought out to sea.
Pictured is a 2019 rendering of the Arthur Kill Terminal site. (Courtesy of Arthur Kill Terminal/Atlantic Offshore Terminals)Courtesy of Arthur Kill Terminal/Atlantic Offshore Terminals
In an April 4 letter to Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ Chief of Engineers, and Commanding General William Graham, Jr., Malliotakis wrote: “Arthur Kill Terminal is a vital economic development project for my district… I encourage you to expedite the final review and authorization of this permit.”
The permit from the Department of the Army is one of the last steps before the terminal can move forward in its next phase of development, according to the letter.
Trump’s halting of the offshore wind sector via an executive order — effectively froze the creation of 750 union jobs that would be generated during the terminal’s construction.
Six hundred of the jobs are slated to be in the construction sector, while another 150 jobs will open in the operations sector.
“We’re not going to do the wind thing. Big, ugly windmills. They ruin your neighborhood,” said Trump at his inauguration on Jan. 20.
Even if the terminal is constructed, the reality is that if the permitting process for new offshore wind projects remains paused, the terminal could still suffer.
After all, the terminal is meant to be leased out to different companies after it is completed so that the companies can assemble and stage their own turbines before being shipped to their destinations.