Former President Donald Trump has said he will use an executive order to halt offshore wind projects if reelected. Speaking at a May 11 rally in New Jersey, the presumed Republican nominee cited environmental concerns related to offshore wind development and indicated he plans to take aim at the industry on “day one” of his potential presidency.
“They destroy everything, they’re horrible, the most expensive energy there is,” Trump said. “They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales. We are going to make sure that that ends on day one. I’m going to write it out in an executive order.”
Point phone camera here
These remarks from Trump have raised concerns within the offshore wind industry, which already weathered significant challenges in 2023.
Rising materials costs and supply chain disruptions led to the postponement or cancellation of numerous offshore wind initiatives, hindering the sector’s growth. Yet, even after the the difficulties seen a year ago, experts at S&P Global had still been anticipating an industry turnaround in 2024.
The inauguration of the first commercial-scale offshore wind farm in the U.S. earlier this year marked a milestone achievement, with more projects in development that could potentially power millions of additional homes.
However, Trump’s renewed opposition to offshore wind projects has cast some uncertainty over the industry’s future.
Energy analysts believe that even operational projects may face challenges should Trump return to the White House. One managing director of the Washington-based research firm ClearView Energy Partners said that “a Trump administration would be a negative for the offshore wind industry.”
JACK ALYMER: TRUMP WANTS TO END OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS.
THE FORMER PRESIDENT TAKING AIM AT THIS SOURCE OF RENEWABLE POWER DURING A RALLY OVER THE WEEKEND IN NEW JERSEY.
DONALD TRUMP:
“You see these things all over the place, they destroy everything they’re horrible and the most expensive energy there is. They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales.”
JACK ALYMER:
TRUMP’S COMMENTS INDICATE HE MAY GO AFTER THE INDUSTRY BY USING AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO CONDUCT NEW STUDIES INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF OFFSHORE WIND-
HALTING THE PERMITTING OF NEW PROJECTS IN THE MEANTIME.
IF RE-ELECTED, THE PRESUMED REPUBLICAN NOMINEE VOWED TO PUT AN END TO THESE DEVELOPMENTS AS SOON AS HE’S BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
DONALD TRUMP:
“We’re going to make sure that that ends on day one. I’m gonna write it out at an executive order. It’s going to end on day one.”
JACK ALYMER: WANTING TO BLOCK OFFSHORE WIND IS NOTHING NEW FOR TRUMP, HE’S NEVER BEEN A FAN.
DONALD TRUMP:
“Those big wind turbines are building out in the ocean that are unbelievably expensive, in fact, so expensive that even with subsidies, these companies are all cancelling out..”
they say the noise causes cancer you told me that one okay? *WINDMILL NOISES*
‘I never understood windmills’_ Donald Trump launches into a bizarre rant against windmills.mp4
“I never understood wind and I know windmills very much. I’ve studied it better than anybody I know it’s very expensive.”
“Wind turbines made in China are going to be the destruction and they are almost a total destruction of your tourism industry.”
JACK ALYMER:
BUT THIS TIME THE THREAT TO THE INDUSTRY IS A BIT MORE REAL-
AND COMES AT A TIME WHEN OFFSHORE WIND WAS FINALLY STARTING TO REGAIN SOME MOMENTUM.
20-23 WAS A TOUGH YEAR FOR PROJECT DEVELOPERS, WHO FACED PROBLEMS WITH RISING MATERIALS COSTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN CONSTRAINTS.
THIS LED TO HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS BEING EITHER DELAYED OR CANCELED.
THINGS WERE LOOKING UP THIS YEAR THOUGH, WITH EXPERTS AT S&P GLOBAL PREDICTING AN INDUSTRY TURNAROUND IN 20-24.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE U.S. OPENED ITS FIRST COMMERCIAL SCALE OFFSHORE WIND FARM-
WITH MORE PROJECTS ON THE WAY THAT COULD POWER MILLIONS OF ADDITIONAL HOMES. BUT, ENERGY ANALYSTS BELIEVE THIS COULD CHANGE UNDER A TRUMP RESIDENCY.
THEY SAY EVEN DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY OPERATIONAL MAY FACE NEW CHALLENGES.
CALLING A TRUMP PRESIDENCY A NEGATIVE FOR THE OFFSHORE WIND INDUSTRY.
TO follow ALONG WITH THE LATEST ON OFFSHORE WIND PROJECTS AND OTHER FORMS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME – JACK AYLMER.
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