Trump Suspends Federal Offshore Wind Leases, Urges Assessment of Wind Projects on Federal Lands
During the suspension, federal authorities will assess the effects of wind energy projects on wildlife and evaluate the feasibility of wind energy without federal financial support.
On his first day back in the White House, President Donald Trump issued a directive pausing new leases and permits for wind energy projects.
The majority of offshore wind projects are proposed in federal waters.
In issuing the order, the president mentioned “negative impacts on navigational safety, transportation, national security, commercial interests, and marine mammals” along with the necessity to “preserve a thriving fishing industry for future generations.”
During this pause, federal officials will scrutinize the consequences of wind projects on wildlife and determine if wind energy can be sustainable without federal subsidies.
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No new leases or permits may be granted or extended until the review concludes.
The directive does not impact existing lease rights and is not applicable to leases concerning oil, gas, minerals, and environmental conservation.
Reactions
Responses from the renewable energy sector were immediate.
“The American Clean Power Association (ACP) firmly opposes sweeping actions that halt or obstruct the advancement of domestic wind energy on federal lands and waters,” ACP CEO Jason Grumet stated in response to the order.
The organization supports “the president’s initiative to overhaul the permitting process to expedite the development of all types of domestic energy production,” which they hope will encompass wind, Grumet added.
“Without substantial changes in energy policy, our nation will struggle to sustain growth in manufacturing, attain digital supremacy crucial for national security, while simultaneously reducing consumer energy costs,” he remarked.
As reported by the ACP, over 73,000 wind turbines currently produce 153 gigawatts of power across the United States—approximately 10% of total electricity generation—ranking as the largest source of renewable energy and the fourth-largest source of electricity generation after coal, nuclear, and natural gas.
“Halting local wind energy development is detrimental not only to clean air, public health, and national security, it also curtails a significant source of additional power when our electricity grid is most in need,” expressed Kit Kennedy, managing director for power at NRDC.
Oceantic Network CEO Liz Burdock described the action as a “setback for an American energy sector” that “will harm numerous U.S. companies and thousands of employees.”
For those opposing offshore wind, the executive order signifies a major triumph. They hold the industry responsible for whale fatalities and argue that it could devastate the fishing sector and lead to “industrializing” the oceans.
“For those of us dedicated to safeguarding our oceans and wildlife, and for hardworking Americans already facing rising energy prices, this is a significant victory,” said Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), a long-time critic of offshore wind who assisted the president in drafting the order, to the Epoch Times.
“This has been a protracted, arduous struggle against powerful, foreign multinational corporations that have exhibited no regard for our fishing industry, our environment, our whales, national security, or the American energy consumer.”
Meghan Lapp, the fisheries liaison for Seafreeze Ltd., the largest producer and trader of sea-frozen seafood on the U.S. East Coast, and Seafreeze Shoreside, one of the major fish processing facilities in Point Judith, Rhode Island, expressed her gratitude to the Trump administration.
“We have worked tirelessly to protect our fisheries from the devastation caused by offshore wind development, and President Trump has delivered for us,” she told The Epoch Times. “It’s a tremendous relief for the fishing industry to finally have someone aiding in the preservation of our fishing grounds.”
Shift in Direction
Trump’s decision signifies a stark departure from the Biden administration’s proactive four-year campaign to enhance wind-power leasing, which aimed to establish 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and an additional 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind by 2035.
Simultaneously, the industry began to struggle.
In February 2024, the wind energy giant Orsted canceled a large wind initiative along the Eastern Seaboard and reduced its floating offshore wind development efforts, recognizing that the technology was not yet mature enough for widespread application.
