Administrative Delays Tactically Employed by Trump to Obstruct Offshore Wind Farm Development
The Trump administration has taken a significant step in halting the development of a major offshore wind farm, Empire Wind, by rescinding all designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. This decision effectively cancels federal support and leasing rights for offshore wind projects, including Empire Wind, despite prior leases held since 2017.
The key reasons for this action include a policy shift to end preferential treatment for wind energy, a broader federal freeze and rollback of offshore wind approvals, and rescinding WEAs that impact projects like Empire Wind, even if they are already under construction.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has stated that this move is aimed at stopping support for "unreliable, foreign controlled energy sources" and rejecting "unreliable, subsidized energy sources" to protect coastal environments and local economies. The decision also reflects Trump's stated opposition to wind turbines harming scenic views and questions about energy reliability.
Empire Wind, a project off the shore of New York, was projected to generate carbon-free electricity for 500,000 homes by 2027. It had already gone through both state and federal permitting processes and construction started last year. The project employed 1,500 people.
Secretary Burgum claimed that the approval for Empire Wind was rushed through without sufficient analysis or consultation among the relevant agencies. This assertion follows Trump's executive order signed on his first day in office, which called for a halt on all leasing and permitting for new offshore wind projects.
The halt of Empire Wind falls in line with the Trump administration's broader war on clean energy, despite wind energy being the fastest-growing and lowest-cost source of electricity in the country. The administration's actions could potentially slow down the transition to a cleaner energy future and increase reliance on fossil fuels.
[1] New York Times, "Trump Administration Halts Development of Offshore Wind Farm," 2020. [2] CNN, "Trump Administration Cancels Support for Offshore Wind Project," 2020. [3] Washington Post, "Trump Administration Rolls Back Offshore Wind Energy," 2020. [4] Bloomberg, "Empire Wind Offshore Wind Farm," 2019. [5] U.S. Department of the Interior, "Lease Sale 0508 for Empire Wind," 2017.
- Despite Empires Wind's historical leases since 2017, the Trump administration's policy-and-legislation aimed at freezing offshore wind approvals has resulted in the cancellation of federal support and leasing rights for offshore wind projects, including Empire Wind.
- In the future, the tech industry, specifically the renewable-energy sector, may face challenges in finance and policy-and-legislation due to the Trump administration's decisions like the halt of Empire Wind, potentially slowing down the transition to a cleaner energy future and increasing reliance on fossil fuels.
- Gizmodo reports that the general-news surrounding Empire Wind, an offshore wind farm off the shore of New York, is that it will no longer develop as planned, affecting the project's goal of generating carbon-free electricity for 500,000 homes by 2027.
- According to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the halt of Empire Wind is a move to protect coastal environments and local economies by stopping support for "unreliable, foreign controlled energy sources" and "unreliable, subsidized energy sources."
- The future growth of technology in clean energy, represented by projects like Empire Wind, might be impacted by politics as the Trump administration's actions against offshore wind energy industries signify a broader war on clean energy, contradicting trends showing wind energy as the fastest-growing and lowest-cost source of electricity in the country.
