God Willing: Can Trump Kill Offshore Wind?

Invigorated by president-elect Donald Trump’s election, opponents of offshore wind power hope for the new administration to sweep President Biden’s renewable energy plans aside.

“If Biden can cancel XL pipeline’s border crossing permit over climate concerns, why can't @realDonaldTrump yank offshore wind permits over BOEM's disregard of evidence showing harm to marine life?” wrote activist Lisa Linowes of the Save Right Whales Coalition on social media site X Dec. 9.

At a May campaign rally on a New Jersey beach, Trump famously promised to end wind projects “on day one” if he returns to the White House. In the final weeks of the campaign Trump amped up his rhetoric, repeating offshore wind critics’ accusations of projects threatening marine life.

“It drives the whales freaking crazy...and the environmentalists, they don't talk about it,” Trump said on podcaster Joe Rogans’s Oct. 26 show.