Trump administration cancels $679 million for offshore wind projects

The Department of Transportation on Friday canceled $679 million in federal funding for a dozen infrastructure projects that would support offshore wind power in the U.S., the latest attack in President Donald Trump’s campaign to halt the development of renewable energy in the U.S.

The wind industry has been in Trump’s crosshairs since his first day in office, when he halted new leases for offshore wind projects. But his administration has escalated its attacks in recent days.

“Wasteful, wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. The funding will be redirected to upgrade ports and other infrastructure in the U.S., where possible, according to the department.

Many of the projects affected by the funding cancellation are staging areas that would be used to build offshore wind turbines. The single biggest pledge that was canceled is Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind in northern California, with about $427 million in federal support withdrawn.

Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind is a planned marine terminal that would be used to launch and assemble turbines in support of California’s goal of building 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045.

New England halt

The Department of the Interior last week ordered Denmark’s Orsted A/S to halt work on the Revolution Wind project off the coast of New England. The fully permitted project is 80% complete. Orsted shares tumbled to a record low on Monday in the aftermath of the work stoppage.

Trump said last week that his administration will not approve solar or wind projects in the U.S. Renewable executives are warning that the president’s campaign against renewable energy will lead to a spike in power prices.

Funds for the following projects have been withdrawn:

• Sparrows Point Steel Marshalling Port project in Baltimore, Maryland ($47,392,500)  
• Bridgeport Port Authority Operations and Maintenance Wind Port project in Connecticut ($10,530,000)
• Wind Port at Paulsboro in New Jersey ($20,494,025)
• Arthur Kill Terminal in Staten Island, New York ($48,008,231)
• Gateway upgrades for access, resiliency and development at the Port of Davisville project in Rhode Island ($11,250,000)
• Norfolk Offshore Wind Logistics Port in Virginia ($39,265,000)
• Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind in California ($426,719,810)

Funds for the the following projects have been terminated:

• Redwood Marine Terminal project planning in California ($8,672,986)
• Salem Wind Port project in Massachusetts ($33,835,953)
• Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience project ($11,051,586)
• Radio Island rail improvements in support of offshore wind in North Carolina ($1,679,604)
• Portsmouth Marine Terminal (PMT) offshore wind development in Virginia ($20,000,000)