President-Elect Trump has made it clear that he is not a supporter of offshore wind energy, a stance he reinforced during his interview with Joe Rogan. Offshore wind, according to Trump, disrupts fishing zones, threatens wildlife such as birds and bats, damages large sections of the ocean floor, jeopardizes the North Atlantic Right Whale’s survival, and burdens Americans with high electricity costs that are unreliable—operating at less than half capacity. Wind power, he argues, requires backup from fossil fuels, nuclear plants, or costly batteries to be integrated into the grid, meaning consumers are paying not only for the wind energy itself but also for its backup capacity. Offshore wind exists largely due to massive subsidies from the Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Democrats, which are funded by U.S. taxpayers. Additionally, the Biden-Harris administration has pushed to build 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 to meet commitments made under the UN’s Paris Agreement. Warren Buffett has famously pointed out that wind energy would not exist without tax credits, many of which his own company benefits from. In essence, Americans are paying twice for offshore wind: once as consumers and once as taxpayers.

A recent incident off Nantucket on July 13 highlights further concerns about the industry. A large blade from the Vineyard Offshore Wind facility broke off, scattering debris along the coastline and creating hazards for boats. The manufacturer, GE Vernova, identified the root cause of the failure as a manufacturing error at its Canadian factory, revealing that other blades with the “manufacturing deviation,” had been found. As a result, the Federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement issued a suspension order for Vineyard Wind, halting all turbine operations, blade installations, and other activities until the problem could be addressed. GE Vernova has since announced plans to replace some of the faulty blades and reinforce others at the site. This is not the first blade failure for the company—two blades also broke at the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm in the UK.

For years, fishermen, marine conservationists, and ocean advocates have voiced concerns about the expedited approval processes for offshore wind projects. Jerry Leeman, founder & CEO of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, said, “It is now obvious that foreign mega developers and their political allies cut corners to bring their flagship project online. Despite the compounding safety concerns at Vineyard Wind, lease auctions loom for wind farms in the Gulf of Maine, the culmination of a rushed regulatory process. There is no doubt that speed has taken precedence over safety and conservation for offshore wind.”