US Offshore Wind Execs Fret Possible Trump Victory

The U.S. Offshore Wind Developers put on a brave front at a conference in Washington this week. They praised their ability to work together with leaders of both political parties. However, attendees privately worried that things might get tough for them if Republican Donald Trump wins the 2024 presidential election.

Former President and Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has promised to cancel offshore wind projects on his first day of office if he wins the White House. He claims that windmills are bad for the environment and harm birds and whales.

Trump is locked in a close race with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris who, as part of the administration of Joe Biden, has championed offshore wind targets that are ambitious.

The tight race for elections has made an already challenging year even worse for the industry. Already, the industry was impacted by cancelled projects, lease sales that were put on hold, and a construction incident at the first major offshore project in the country.

At least a dozen participants in the industry spoke about the uncertain future of the industry under the Trump administration. Two executives from offshore wind development have expressed their fears about a slow, long spiral in the industry should Trump win and stop federal permits for projects.

All of them refused to comment on record. The other executives and regulators who were approached at the conference declined to comment or stated that they would work with whomever is in the White House.

(Source: Reuters)