Photo by Marco Krenn
The Trump administration has cancelled plans to use large areas of federal waters for new offshore wind development, rescinding all designated wind energy areas in a move that effectively ends the framework established for the nation’s offshore wind expansion.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced Wednesday that it was ending the practice of setting aside large areas for “speculative wind development,” affecting more than 3.5 million acres of federal waters previously designated as most suitable for wind energy development.
Widespread impact on planned projects
The decision affects anticipated offshore wind lease sales off the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Maine, New York, California and Oregon, as well as in the central Atlantic. The Biden administration had previously announced a five-year schedule to lease federal offshore tracts for wind energy production.
The cancellation represents the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to suppress the offshore wind industry, following a series of executive orders targeting renewable energy development since taking office in January.
Executive actions against renewables
The Republican president has demonstrated consistent opposition to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. An early executive order temporarily halted offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and paused the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects.
The Interior Department has also implemented new restrictions requiring all solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters to be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Additionally, the department is considering withdrawing areas on federal lands with high potential for onshore wind power.
Policy justification and industry response
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said it was acting in accordance with Trump’s directives and an order by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to end any preferential treatment toward wind and solar facilities, which the administration describes as unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources.
The Interior Department announced it will also review avian mortality rates associated with wind turbines as part of its broader reassessment of renewable energy policies.
Industry and environmental reactions
Some groups have welcomed the administration’s actions. Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey, applauded the administration for its decisions, calling them “long overdue.” He questioned the viability of offshore wind projects, stating: “It’s hard to believe these projects ever got this far because of the immensity, scale, scope and expense, compared to relatively cheap and reliable forms of onshore power.”
Meanwhile other groups have strongly criticised the policy changes. The Sierra Club characterised the administration’s actions as “relentless obstruction of wind energy” and accused the administration of not caring about creating affordable, reliable energy for Americans.
Xavier Boatright, Sierra Club’s deputy legislative director for clean energy and electrification, stated: “No matter how much they want to bolster their buddies in the dirty fossil fuel industry, we will continue to push for the cleaner, healthier, and greener future we deserve.”
Legal challenges emerge
The administration faces significant legal opposition to its offshore wind policies. Attorney generals from 17 states and the District of Columbia are suing in federal court to challenge Trump’s executive order halting leasing and permitting for wind energy projects.
Despite the broader crackdown, the administration has shown some flexibility in individual cases. After initially halting work on a major offshore wind project for New York, the administration allowed it to resume in May.
Impact on existing projects and industry forecasts
The policy changes primarily affect future development rather than existing installations. The nation’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a 12-turbine facility called South Fork, opened last year east of Montauk Point, New York, and continues operating.
However, the broader policy impact has been severe for industry projections. Since Trump’s re-election, BloombergNEF’s forecast for new offshore wind developments has fallen by 56%.
Conservative groups are also targeting existing projects. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, which has received funding from Koch Industries, filed a petition urging the Trump administration to revoke approval for a wind farm off Massachusetts, the first greenlit by the Biden administration in 2021. The 62-turbine Vineyard Wind project is currently under construction about 12 nautical miles off Martha’s Vineyard.
Current offshore wind projects under construction or in areas already leased appear to be proceeding, though the new policies effectively cap industry growth to these existing commitments.
Broader energy policy context
The offshore wind cancellations are part of a comprehensive reversal of the country’s energy policies initiated after Trump took office in January. A series of executive orders have targeted increases in oil, gas and coal production as part of the administration’s broader energy strategy.
The Trump administration has relied on various claims about wind energy to justify its opposition, though fact-checkers have identified false and misleading statements in the president’s arguments against wind power deployment in the U.S. and globally.
International competitiveness concerns
The policy shift represents a significant departure from global trends toward offshore wind development and could affect the United States’ position in the international renewable energy market. Critics argue that “attacking offshore wind will put America behind its foreign competitors, kill jobs, and weaken our energy sector” at a time when Europe and China’s offshore wind industries are expanding rapidly.
The cancellation comes amid rising US power needs from climate change, EV adoption, and data center expansion, with critics arguing that removing offshore wind development options undermines energy security during peak demand periods.
Future outlook
The administration’s actions effectively eliminate the federal framework for offshore wind expansion, limiting future growth to projects already under development or in previously leased areas. The legal challenges from state attorneys general may determine whether some aspects of the policy can be reversed, though the immediate impact on new project development is substantial.
The policy changes highlight the broader tension between federal and state authorities over energy development, with many coastal states pursuing their own renewable energy goals despite federal opposition to offshore wind expansion.