Once hailed as a potential solution to America’s energy crisis and a key weapon in the fight against climate change, offshore wind energy has faced significant headwinds under President Donald Trump. Yesterday, his administration dealt another blow to the nascent US industry by ordering the Empire Wind project off the New York coast to halt construction.
Donald Trump’s crusade against offshore wind has been ongoing since he first entered politics. During his campaign, he falsely linked proposed projects with whale deaths without evidence while promising to “drill, baby, drill” for oil and gas. Now, his administration is attempting to stop the development of offshore wind farms even those that have already gained federal approval.
In response to this latest move, Equinor – the Norwegian company developing Empire Wind – has suspended construction on the project. This suspension will stall a power source estimated to produce 500,000 homes’ worth of carbon pollution-free electricity. The $2.5 billion Empire Wind project also promised to create jobs for more than 1,500 workers at its peak construction phase.
However, the Trump administration’s opposition to offshore wind goes beyond individual projects. This week’s move signals a broader effort by the current administration to stifle growth in the US renewable energy sector as it seeks to prioritize oil and gas interests. Last year, these industries spent over $75 million on campaign donations to get Trump elected, with no new windmills being built under his watch.
The United States’ commitment to offshore wind is far behind that of Europe and China. Offshore wind could potentially provide up to a quarter of the nation’s power by 2050 – an attractive prospect given America’s vast coastlines and burgeoning energy demand from data centers. Yet, despite this potential, opponents are stepping in every step of the way.
Some critics argue that offshore turbines pose environmental risks such as vessel strikes causing whale deaths or damage to ocean views. However, a recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) report found necropsies pointing to fishing gear and vessel strikes as leading causes of whale deaths, not turbine collisions.
The Trump administration’s hostility towards offshore wind is indicative of a broader ideological struggle over America’s energy future. With former President Joe Biden having set a goal of expanding the US offshore wind capacity from 42 to 30,000 megawatts by 2030 and New York Governor Kathy Hochul vowing to fight the Trump administration’s efforts on Empire Wind “every step of the way,” it remains to be seen how far this battle over energy policy will go.
As America faces a critical juncture in determining its energy future, opponents like Equinor must weigh their options carefully and advocates push for sustainable wind power solutions despite the challenges presented by Trump’s administration. The fate of offshore wind – and with it, America’s energy security – hangs in the balance as the battle between oil and gas interests and climate change warriors continues to rage on.
