LIBN Op-Ed: The Future of Offshore Wind Power under Trump

On November 21, 2024, Long Island Business News published Chris Murray’s opinion piece, “The Future of Offshore Wind Power under Trump.”

Here is the full text.

During the presidential campaign, Donald Trump did not hide his disdain for offshore wind-powered energy, going so far as to claim offshore wind farms are a risk to whales and birds, when there is no evidence that this is true.

President-elect Trump has promised to end all new wind projects in federal waters. Trump states he will sign an executive order on day one, which could be the death knell for any new offshore wind projects critical to moving away from fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources.

President-elect Trump should be taken at his word, and wind power activists should focus on the states to financially keep the wind industry alive, concentrating on land-based wind farms that do not depend on the use federally controlled waters.

The Biden administration adopted or expanded financial incentives for the wind industry generally, and offshore wind projects specifically. For example, in August 2022, Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which extended the Production Tax Credit (PTC) and the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) for wind projects through the end of this year. In addition, the Inflation Reduction Act adds increased credit amounts and bonus tax incentives to the PTC and ITC for offshore wind projects. Biden’s administration also expended millions of dollars for research to assist the development of the offshore wind industry.

Further, because of the Biden administration’s favorable view of offshore wind power—which harvests stronger and more consistent winds for energy use—a number of offshore wind projects have now gone online. At the beginning of Biden’s presidency, there were no approved commercial offshore wind projects in the federal waters of the United States. However, by September of this year, the 10th commercial-scale offshore wind project was approved. And this past spring, an offshore wind farm located off Long Island began generating energy for New Yorkers.

However, this progress in developing offshore wind farms is likely to end. Trump has made no secret of his support for fossil fuels regardless of the impact on the environment. He even went so far as to say that if the fossil fuel industry raised a billion dollars for his campaign, he would roll back any policies that hampered the use of fossil fuels.

As for any hope that the appointment of Lee Zeldin, who at times has been a supporter of wind power, as head of the Environmental Protection Agency will help, he will not have jurisdiction over the industry. Under federal law, the regulation of offshore wind power in federal waters is regulated by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an agency within the Department of Interior. Further, Trump recently announced the nomination of Chris Wright to lead the Energy Department, a former oil and gas executive, reflecting Trump’s support for the oil and gas industry

Trump’s election comes as the wind industry has been struggling. Market forces have decreased the cost of fossil fuels, making energy generated by wind power less financially competitive. However, this calculus does not consider the true cost of fossil fuels, namely the damage to the environment caused by carbon emissions resulting in climate change.

As for the role of the states, while they can attempt to help subsidize this alternative energy source, restricting development of wind farms in federal waters would severely hamper its growth. States only control up to 2 miles from a shoreline, too close to allow wind farms to be practical. Accordingly, states should focus on land-based wind farms that need less federal approval.

The bottom line is that elections have consequences. The results of this year’s election may be to end the development of offshore wind farms, a promising source of renewable energy. Unfortunately, at least in the near future, this will perpetuate our country’s dependence on fossil fuels, climate change be dammed.