Updated to include reaction from four governors of state’s affected by the Trump order to halt offshore wind projects.
Following its loss in federal court this month when a federal judge struck down President Trump’s executive action that had halted wind-powered electric energy projects the Trump administration has made a new move to try to block major wind farm projects from proceeding. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris had found that Trump’s freeze on permits and leases for wind farms on federal lands and waters was arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful. Projects designed to serve Connecticut and New York were among those Trump has been trying to sink.
On Dec. 22, Trump’s Department of Interior claimed that large-scale offshore wind farms pose security risks and therefore it is suspending all federal leases that are necessary for those projects. Trump’s Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum claims that wind projects pose security risks to coastal population centers. He announced that the administration is calling an immediate halt to five offshore wind projects. They are:
The Revolution Wind project, a 704-megawatt offshore wind farm being built in federal waters off the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut, aiming to be America’s first multi-state offshore wind farm;
The Vineyard Wind project, which is the United States’ first large-scale offshore wind farm, and is located about 15 miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts;
The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which is a massive renewable energy initiative to build the largest offshore wind farm serving the U.S., and is located 27 miles off Virginia Beach;
The Sunrise Wind project, which is a 924-megawatt offshore wind farm being built off the coast of New York about 30 miles east of Montauk;
The Empire Wind project, which is a large-scale offshore wind farm being developed off the coast of Long Island.
The Department of Interior claims that the offshore wind farms interfere with radar and create a risk that enemies could attack the U.S. without being detected on radar.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee Dec. 23 released the following joint statement regarding offshore wind:
“The Trump administration’s announcement yesterday pausing offshore wind leases is its latest egregious attack on clean energy and it lands like a lump of dirty coal for the holiday season for American workers, consumers, and investors. Pausing active leases, especially for completed and nearly completed projects, defies logic, will hurt our bid for energy independence, will drive up costs for America ratepayers, and will make us lose thousands of good-paying jobs. It also threatens grid reliability that is needed to keep the lights on.
“Atlantic states are working hard to build more energy to meet rising demand and lower costs. Already, these projects have created thousands of jobs and injected billions in economic activity into our communities.
“This baseless, reckless, and erratic action from the Department of Interior will also inject further uncertainty into the markets, making it harder for states and private companies to secure financing for public works projects if investors know they can be stopped at any time despite having gone through all the necessary local and federal approval processes.
“A federal judge earlier this month ruled the Trump administration cannot simply halt federal approvals of offshore wind permits arbitrarily. We are committed as governors to again fight back to ensure these projects move forward and provide power, jobs, and grid reliability to our communities.”
