As part of his first flurry of executive actions once back in office, President Trump threw a bunch of bureaucratic roadblocks in front of the U.S. wind industry, threatening thousands of jobs and billions in clean energy investments.
“Putting the brakes on homegrown wind energy is not only bad for clean air, public health, and national security—it cuts short a promising source of additional power at a time when our electricity grid needs it most,” said Kit Kennedy, NRDC’s managing director for power.
Trump’s memorandum has two major effects. First, it temporarily halts new leasing of federal waters for offshore wind. While the moratorium can be lifted by revoking the memo, no process or timeline is given. The secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior is tasked with developing a report looking into amending or terminating existing leases.
Second, the memo also directs all relevant agencies to pause approvals related to on- and offshore wind development, such as permits, until a comprehensive review has been completed. Again, no timeline for that comprehensive review is given.
The memo also targets the already approved Lava Ridge Wind project in Idaho—which would be one of the largest wind projects in the nation—and orders a study of possibly requiring the removal of “defunct or idle” wind turbines. This unprecedented action to single out a specific project highlights the administration’s broader strategy to stifle wind energy development, steamroll public process, and spread misinformation.
The pause of offshore wind lease auctions and additional project approvals threatens thousands of jobs held by American workers across the country, risks $25 billion of near-term investments into the economy, and hurts the nation’s energy security at a time when energy demand is rising. Ultimately, the resilient U.S. offshore wind industry will succeed despite this administration’s actions. The transition to clean energy just has too much going for it.
A 2024 report from American Clean Power found the offshore wind sector was set to invest $65 billion and create 56,000 jobs by 2030. Offshore wind is already a foundational American energy industry, generating billions of dollars in new investments and supporting more than 15,000 jobs. Offshore wind’s supply chain is revitalizing legacy U.S. industries and pioneering new technologies, helping to cement the country as the economic and energy leader of the globe. Combined, on- and offshore wind development is employing about 20,000 jobs in manufacturing and 131,000 American jobs overall, many in construction, manufacturing, shipbuilding, and plant operations.
And, of course, wind is not just important economically, it’s also a critical part of the solution to the climate crisis. With fires wiping out parts of Los Angeles just a few months after storms washed away entire communities in the Southeast, how can we delay in adopting clean, renewable power? Wind power already provides enough clean, carbon-free electricity to power more than 46 million American homes—that’s about one of every three homes.
As record cold sweeps across the country, we are seeing wind, solar, and battery power help keep the lights on and power prices in check. During winter storm Uri in Texas, gas plants made up the largest share of plant failures by a wide margin—more than double that of the next largest, according to a joint NERC/FERC analysis. And failures at gas plants in PJM during the December 2022 winter blast caused the power supply to nearly fall short then too. In contrast, clean energy has repeatedly proven to be a reliable source of energy during extreme weather, providing resilience when fossil fuels falter.
A report last year from the U.S. Department of Energy warns that overreliance on fossil fuel energy is a “risky” approach. The report endorses a “portfolio approach” of low-carbon options, which also includes storage and grid-enhancing technologies.
Trump has tilted at wind power for a long time going back to his efforts to stop a project near his Scottish golf course. As a justification for his latest actions, he pointed to recent whale deaths. To be clear: There’s no evidence that the construction of offshore wind facilities is responsible for any whale death; in fact, one of the biggest threats to whales and marine wildlife is the damage to the ocean from climate change. To protect whales, we need practical solutions, not more climate pollution.
More fossil fuels also means more air pollution, water pollution, and a more dangerous future for us and our children. Trump’s actions may unnecessarily slow the transition to clean energy, but they will not stop it. We all know what happens when you spit into the wind. Billions of dollars have been invested, supply chains have been created, and the need for reliable, clean energy is not going away.
