ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect President-elect Donald Trump to destroy an industry he has vowed to end on his first day back to the White House.
But it may not be that simple.
Many of the largest offshore wind companies put a brave face on the election results, pledging to work with Trump and Congress to build energy projects, ignoring the often expressed hostility toward them.
During campaign appearances, Trump denounced offshore wind energy and vowed to sign an executive order blocking such projects.
“We’re going to make sure that ends on Day 1,” Trump said in a speech in May. “I’m going to put it in an executive order. It ends on day 1.”
“They destroy everything, they are terrible, the most expensive energy there is,” Trump said. “They’re ruining the environment, they’re killing the birds, they’re killing the whales.”
Numerous federal and state science agencies say there is no evidence that offshore wind energy preparation is linked to a wave of whale deaths along the U.S. East Coast in recent years. Turbines are known to kill shorebirds, but industry and regulators say policies are in place to limit damage to the environment.
Trump has spoken out against offshore wind turbines spoiling the view from a golf course he owns in Scotland. But numerous environmental groups say the real reason he opposes offshore wind energy is his support of the fossil fuel industry.
There are nearly 65 gigawatts of offshore wind power under development in the U.S., enough to power more than 26 million homes, and some turbines are already running in several states, according to the American Clean Power Association.
Currently operating projects include the Block Island Wind Farm in Rhode Island, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project and the South Fork Wind Farm, located approximately 35 miles east of Montauk Point on New York’s Long Island.
Trump is unlikely to end these projects, but he could have more influence over those still in the planning stages, say those in the debate.
Bob Stern, head of an office at the U.S. Energy Department responsible for environmental protection during the Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations, said Trump can get Congress to accept the offshore wind tax credits provided in the Inflation Reduction Act of the Biden administration, reduces or eliminates it. These credits form an integral part of the financing of many offshore wind projects.
Stern, leader of the New Jersey anti-offshore wind group Save LBI, said Trump could also issue executive orders banning further offshore leases and rescinding approval of already approved leases, while pushing Congress to change federal laws that provide more protection for marine mammals.
The president-elect can also appoint leaders of agencies involved in the regulation of offshore wind energy who are hostile to or less supportive of it.
Opponents of offshore wind energy, including many Republicans, were giddy after the election, saying they fully expect Trump to put an end to the industry.
“I believe this is a tipping point for the offshore wind industry in America,” said Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast NJ, one of the most vocal groups opposing offshore wind on the East Coast. “They have been in charge of Democratic-led governments at the federal and state levels for years. For this sector, (Tuesday’s) results will bring much greater headwinds than they have previously experienced.”
But Tina Zappile, director of the Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University in New Jersey, noted that Trump’s Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke expressed strong support for offshore wind energy in 2018. And even though the president-elect has destroyed the technology, she predicted he won’t just let it go away.
“Offshore wind energy may appear to be on the chopping block – Trump has explicitly said this was something he would fix on day one – but when the economics of offshore wind align with his overall strategies to return production to America and become energy independent, his government will likely slowly back away from this claim,” she said in an interview. “Offshore wind energy may be temporarily hampered, but it is unlikely to harm the long-term prospects in the US.”
Commercial fishermen in Maine said they hope the Trump administration will reverse policies intended to help build and approve offshore wind projects. They say regulators have tried to ‘future-proof’ the sector against political change. Jerry Leeman, CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, called on Trump to reverse his pledge to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.
The offshore wind industry is taking an optimistic stance and promising to work with Trump, his political allies. National and New Jersey wind industry groups, and several offshore wind developers including Atlantic Shores and Denmark-based Orsted, have issued similar statements highlighting terms likely to appeal to Republicans, including job creation, economic development and national security.
“By combining the strengths of all domestic energy sources, the Trump administration can advance an economy that is dynamic, safe and clean,” Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, said in a statement. “We are committed to working with the Trump-Vance administration and the new Congress to continue this great American success story.”
But few Republicans were in a welcoming mood after the election. New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra listed the major offshore wind companies in a Facebook post, saying, “It’s time to pack your bags and get away from the Jersey Shore, our marine life, fishing industry and beautiful beaches.”
Kanitra said he was looking forward to “your stock prices falling.” And that started to happen.
Share prices of European offshore wind companies, many of which are planning or building projects on the US east coast, fell on fears that the new administration would try to delay or end such projects. Orsted closed down nearly 14% on Wednesday and has fallen 11% over the past five days. Turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems fell by almost 24% in the same period.
Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a Republican from New Jersey, hosted Trump earlier this year at a rally where Trump again pledged to eliminate offshore wind energy.
“We are currently working out the details of what that will look like once he returns to power in January,” VanDrew said. “President Trump is a great friend of New Jersey, and he understands the devastating impact these projects will have on our communities. .”
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