Trump halts offshore wind farm leasing projects

The Trump administration has taken a decisive step in its months-long assault on the offshore wind industry, issuing an order that effectively ends offshore wind leasing in the U.S.

Wednesday's announcement, made by the Interior Department, makes the policy against offshore wind leasing more definitive. The order, signed by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, directs his staff to stop "preferential treatment for wind projects."

The affected areas include the Gulf of Mexico, Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic. Over 3.5 million acres of federal waters previously targeted for offshore wind development have been de-designated.

The process of determining the best possible areas for wind development is an involved undertaking, involving a multiyear winnowing process. Federal agencies and local communities have been working on this for several years.

The proposed areas for wind development start off enormous and are carefully winnowed down to the official "wind energy area." Smaller lease areas are later carved out of these broader expanses.

Analysts consider offshore wind power as a reliable form of carbon-free energy. In New England, the region's grid operator has deemed offshore wind power critical to grid stability.

However, Secretary Burgum has labeled wind energy "unreliable" in his order. This assertion has been met with criticism from industry experts and career employees at the Interior Department.

An anonymous Interior Department employee spoke freely to our website due to granting of anonymity to avoid retribution. They confirmed that there will not be any leasing for offshore wind in the near future.

Multiple attacks on in-progress offshore wind projects have been made by the Trump administration. The executive order in January by President Donald Trump introduced a temporary ban on offshore wind leasing.

The Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) made this announcement in a four-sentence statement. The name of the Interior Secretary who stopped the preferential treatment of wind power projects is not available in the provided search results.

Despite the administration's actions, the future of offshore wind energy in the U.S. remains uncertain. Analysts will be closely watching developments as the new administration takes office.