A Trump executive order temporarily pauses leasing and allows onshore and offshore wind projects.
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Images Andrew Marszal / AFP / Getty
Approvals for new wind energy projects on federal lands and waters are temporarily halted in the United States. This is after President Donald Trump signed a executive order Call for break.
The order may also threaten existing wind projects, both onshore and offshore. It mandates that federal government agencies not issue new permits, approvals and loans for wind projects pending a full multi-agency review.
The Order uses misleading language to justify its provisions, falsely suggesting, among other things, that wind is not a reliable source of energy and that offshore wind harms wildlife.
Wind combined with energy storage like batteries and grid management can be a reliable and inexpensive source of energy. There is also no evidence that the offshore wind industry is killing large marine mammals like whales. Still, Trump specified in the order “the importance of marine life, impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns.”
Wind energy advocates expected Trump to use his position as president to oppose the wind industry — although this order goes further than expected, Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association , a trade group that advocates for renewable energy.
“They’re saying potentially, let’s do and redo the bureaucracy to allow for these installations that are already happening,” Grumet says. “So it’s troubling.”
Here’s what you need to know about the new executive order and the wind in the United States.
What does the US wind industry look like now?
The wind is composed about 10% of America’s electricity mix – the largest source of renewable energy. In states like Iowa And South Dakota More than half of the state’s electricity comes from wind.
More than 131,000 people work in wind in the United StatesAccording to the Ministry of Energy report.
Wind makes up about 10% of America’s electricity mix – the largest renewable energy source.
John Moore / Getty Images / Getty Images North America
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John Moore / Getty Images / Getty Images North America
Building wind turbines produces carbon dioxide to heat the planet, but once operational, wind power does not cause climate pollution like oil, gas and coal. And unlike fossil fuels, wind energy does not create air pollution.
Offshore wind power is still small in the U.S. Both wind and offshore wind have faced challenges in recent years, including interest rates, supply chain issues and public opposition – on concerns about disruption of opinions and tourism, as well as other doubts, some, some fueled by misinformation.
How does this order affect wind projects?
THE executive order Stops sales of offshore wind rentals in federal waters. It says there will be no new permits or leases issued for wind projects on public lands and waters pending a review from multiple federal agencies.
Wind energy advocates Virginia And Massachusetts Believe that some offshore wind projects already operational or under construction in these states can still move forward – at least for now. The multi-agency review could result in the cancellation of some leases.
“There is now a lot of uncertainty about how all of this is going to be implemented,” explains Francis Pularopresident of Renew Northeast, an association of energy industry and environmental advocates in New England.
The order could also impact onshore wind projects on private lands, Grumet says. Indeed like permits This cover projects into the path of a migratory bird or bat.
The order also provides for a temporary shutdown on a specific wind project in Idaho, The Lava Ridge Project.
Ørsted is a Danish wind company with a large number of wind projects in the United States Madeline Urbish, Ørsted’s head of public affairs, told NPR in an email: “We are in the process of reviewing (the order ) to assess the impact on our portfolio.
How might this impact climate and energy goals?
A lot states have renewable energy and climate targets that require the construction of offshore wind. New York has a goal of 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035which is enough electrical power for about 1.7 million American homes.
New Jersey aims to build 11 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040. This state aims to build a energy sector with 100% clean energy by 2050.
Trump’s executive order ‘puts these goals at risk,’ says Robert Freudenbergvice president of energy and environment at Regional Plan, a nonprofit energy organization in the New York metropolitan area.
Wind energy advocates say that, given Trump’s call to unleash American energy dominance, targeting wind power doesn’t make sense.
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Mario Tama / Getty Images / Getty Images North America
The Northeast and East, where many offshore wind projects now face uncertainty, are home to a growing number of power-hungry data centers, says Kris OhlethExecutive Director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, a wind policy think tank.
“We’re not bringing enough power online fast enough to meet even basic needs,” Ohleth says. “It’s really frustrating to rule out, categorically, a very robust and available scale energy supply.”
Are offshore wind turbines harming large marine life, like whales?
There is no known link between whale deaths and offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrationa federal agency
Many offshore wind critics, including Trump, say without evidence that the offshore wind industry causes whale deaths. There was Mystery Whale Deaths on the East Coast In recent years, but the increase in whale deaths began in 2016, before preliminary offshore wind research began in the area, Ohleth says.
Researchers say whales are at risk of fishing nets, getting hit by ships and human-based climate change.
How are wind energy advocates responding to the administration’s order?
Wind energy advocates say they could turn to the courts to oppose Trump’s executive order.
“Our ambition is not to immediately find ourselves in litigation,” explains Grumet. “But multi-billion dollar companies with multi-billion dollar projects on the line will obviously use every remedy if they believe they are being unfairly undermined.”
Many anti-wind advocates are celebrating the decree. In an emailed statement, React Alliancea group opposing offshore wind in California, writes: “We understand that the process of eliminating offshore wind on all of our coasts will be a long and complex process, but we at React Alliance are confident that the new administration is up to the task.”
The Trump transition team did not respond to NPR’s request for comment.
How might this impact U.S. competitiveness in the wind industry?
Governments around the world are embracing wind as a reliable source of electricity. For Much of last yearthe wind was the largest source of electricity for the UK.
China also pushes wind onshore and offshore, says Alex Wang, a UCLA law professor focused on Chinese climate policy. Meanwhile, he tells the United States: “We are taking a joint turn that will really hurt these industries and it will be difficult to compete with China.”
Grumet says that in Trump’s call to unleash American energy dominance, targeting wind power doesn’t make sense.
“It just seems mind-boggling that a pro-America, no-market administration would even consider telling people to pack their lunch boxes and go home,” says Grumet.
