Politics – Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump in his first day of office on Monday suspended new federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and economic review, saying wind mills are ugly, expensive and harm wildlife.
Former President Joe Biden supported the offshore wind industry, setting a target for 30 gigawatts (GW) of projects by 2030, up from 42 megawatts at the end of 2023, prompting many European project developers to acquire leases and plan wind farms in the United States.
Without providing evidence, Trump said offshore wind projects were behind an increase in whale deaths off the U.S. East Coast in recent years.
He added: “They’re the most expensive form of energy that you can have, by far. And they kill your birds and they ruin your beautiful landscapes.”
Trump’s executive order is not expected to stop existing U.S. offshore wind projects from being advanced.
