Wind industry drafts pitch to skeptical Trump

By Ry Rivard | 11/08/2024 06:33 AM EST

The former president has criticized offshore wind, but the industry has had Republican allies.

A boat bumps up against an offshore wind turbine.

A boat captain demonstrates how to transport workers to an offshore wind farm off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. David Goldman/AP

The offshore wind industry is not all doom and gloom ahead of a second Trump administration.

While President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized wind power as unsightly and dangerous to wildlife, wind supporters have some Republicans and union members in Trump’s coalition to vouch for the emerging sector.

The industry is hoping this and the long-promised benefits of a new domestic power supply can save their industry, which is heavily reliant on federal approvals.

Advertisement

There have been a lot of false starts for the industry, even for projects in blue states while a Democrat is in the White House, especially in New York and New Jersey. But one of the largest projects in the country is in Virginia, a state Trump lost but has a Republican governor.

GET FULL ACCESS