Federal Suspension Stops Major Offshore Wind Projects
On December 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Interior issued broad suspension orders across multiple offshore wind installations, effectively suspending activity for 90 days at Empire Wind 1. Based on national security concerns raised by the Department of War regarding proximity to sensitive defense corridors, Equinor confirmed compliance while engaging federal agencies on mitigation strategies.
This suspension affected additional projects including Revolution Wind, which was ordered to cease offshore work on April 12. Revolution Wind had reached 87% completion and anticipated starting power generation as early as January 2026 before this abrupt halt was ordered. These actions represent a substantial setback for offshore wind sector which had anticipated multiple projects entering operational status by late 2025.
Legal battles against the suspension orders issued by President Donald Trump's administration began immediately, with Orsted filing legal action in January 2026 against those orders while Equinor is preparing a preliminary injunction filing against Interior Department's directive.
Commonwealth LNG Advances towards 2026 Investment Decision
Commonwealth LNG reached an important milestone on December 22, 2025 when they issued a Full Notice to Proceed (FNP) order with Baker Hughes for turbomachinery equipment. The order includes six high-efficiency mixed refrigerant turbomachinery trains designed specifically for their Louisiana facility with annual production capacity of 9.5 million tonnes per annum, supported by developer Caturus and marking significant progress towards their expected Q1 2026 Final Investment Decision.
This procurement order shows confidence in Commonwealth LNG's commercial viability and establishes them among leading candidates for FID announcements in early 2026. Their facility will implement a wellhead-to-water strategy, exporting U.S. natural gas with reduced carbon emissions directly into global markets.
Alaska LNG Secures Strategic Partnership Agreement with POSCO International
Glenfarne Alaska LNG announced on December 4, 2025 the completion of an official Heads of Agreement for its liquefied natural gas offtake with South Korean company POSCO International, marking their inaugural formal Heads of Agreement for offtaking of natural gas liquefaction. This agreement includes pre-FID capital investment commitments which position Alaska LNG for reaching critical investment milestones by early 2026.
Alaska LNG's partnership with POSCO International strengthens its path toward final investment decision (FID). Alaska LNG hopes to advance towards FID within months, taking advantage of anticipated global LNG demand growth.
Global LNG Markets Poised to Expansion
The International Energy Agency projects that global liquefied natural gas consumption will rise by 2 percent by 2026, due to strong Asian demand growth and expected new supply projects coming online across North America, Canada and Qatar. Market dynamics are prompting Commonwealth LNG and Delfin LNG in particular to pursue expedited development timelines ahead of their planned 2026 Final Investment Decision dates.
Natural gas prices were highly unpredictable throughout 2025, reaching their highest point since December 2022 on December 5, 2025 - reaching $5.289 per million British thermal units at this price level. According to U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts, dry natural gas production will increase to an average daily volume of 109.1 billion cubic feet by 2026 from 107.7 bcf/d in 2025.