President Donald Trump took aim Thursday at offshore wind development in New Jersey, writing in a post on his social media network that the state faced “a large scale Windmill DISASTER.”
Trump has ratcheted up attacks on the wind industry since returning to the White House on Monday, issuing a memorandum directing the Interior Department to halt wind permitting and review approvals for existing projects. But the president has reserved special ire for offshore wind projects in New Jersey, railing against them at a campaign rally last summer and during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month.
The broadsides represent a significant risk for Atlantic Shores, the only active project with an approved federal permit to install turbines off the state’s coast. It also threatens Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s climate plans. Murphy has made offshore wind a staple of his plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Trump did not reference Atlantic Shores in his post on Truth Social, but he offered “a special thank you” to Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) for fighting offshore wind.
“It needed MASSIVE GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY that was impossible to justify,” Trump wrote. “Hopefully the project is dead and gone, as almost all unsightly and environmentally unsound Windmill project should be. Congratulations to the great people of New Jersey. You have FINALLY won your war on stupidity!!!”
