Trump announces end of new US wind energy leasing

Donald Trump, President of the United States, announced on Monday that windmills will no longer be supported by the government, claiming they are expensive, ugly and harmful to wildlife.

Trump told an audience at a post-inauguration event that he would not be doing the wind thing.

In a press release issued by the White House earlier that day, Trump said he intended to stop new leasing of "massive" wind farms.

It said that "President Trump’s energy policies" would end leasing of massive wind farms, which degraded our natural landscapes and failed to serve American consumers.

Wind power representatives were concerned by the comments, as they said that Trump's position was at odds with his promise to maximize energy production in the country.

Hillary Bright, executive director of the offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward, said: "A national emergency demands that we unleash all sources of American energy. This includes offshore wind."

The former U.S. president Joe Biden saw the wind as an important part of his strategy for decarbonizing the U.S. energy sector in order to combat climate change. His government held several auctions to develop large new projects.

Trump's opposition towards wind power is a complete 180-degree turn from his first term when his administration also tried to encourage offshore development. (Writing and editing by Michael Perry; Richard Valdmanis)

(source: Reuters)