Trump just killed all offshore wind zones as US power needs surge
Trump’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is rescinding every single Wind Energy Area (WEA) in US federal waters, wiping out over 3.5 million acres of zones once earmarked for offshore wind development.
This masochistic move is part of Trump’s January 2025 executive order halting all offshore wind leasing and ordering a review of wind permitting. It follows a new directive from his Interior Department — “Ending Preferential Treatment for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources.”
This is pure propaganda politics, not energy policy.
Trump has spent years spreading lies about offshore wind farms, from calling them “bird graveyards” to wrongly blaming them for whale deaths. Now his administration is taking a wrecking ball to one of the country’s most promising clean energy industries – just as the aging US grid faces unprecedented strain from climate change, EV adoption, and the explosion of data centers that demand massive electricity. Advertisement - scroll for more content
Offshore wind is not unreliable. It’s already producing clean power for homes and businesses all over the world, including the US. In fact, many of the world’s most successful offshore wind developers — including European firms — have decades of experience building turbines in deep waters and tough weather. These companies work hand-in-hand with US firms, bringing expertise and creating good-paying American jobs, from manufacturing to port construction to long-term operations and maintenance.
The government’s rollback affects critical areas for future wind projects in the Gulf of Maine, New York Bight, Central Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, California, and Oregon. By removing these designated offshore zones, Trump’s BOEM is essentially canceling the roadmap for the US’s offshore wind future – one that would have powered millions of homes, stabilized energy costs, and brought climate benefits when we need them most.
Jason Walsh, executive director of the BlueGreen Alliance, released a statement in response to this destructive decision:
Donald Trump should support the country’s progress and do everything he can to foster more resources for the people. Instead, he is trying to wipe an entire sector of the energy industry off the board at a time when our electric grid is overburdened and electric bills are rising. Attacking offshore wind will put America behind its foreign competitors, kill jobs, and weaken our energy sector.
This isn’t just an energy issue – it’s a jobs issue, a climate issue, and a national competitiveness issue. At a time when we need more power on the grid, more affordable energy, and more tools to fight climate change, the Trump administration is deliberately dismantling a homegrown solution. We will all pay for it with our wallets, and our kids will pay with their futures. Europe and China’s offshore wind industries are leaving the US in the dust.
Read more: Trump blocked wind projects, and now 17 states and DC are suing
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