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A Trump executive order temporarily pauses leases and permits for onshore and offshore wind projects. ANDREW MARSZAL/AFP via Getty Images/AFP hide caption
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ANDREW MARSZAL/AFP via Getty Images/AFP
Approvals for new wind energy projects in federal lands and waters are temporarily halted in the U.S.. That's after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the pause.
The order may also threaten existing wind projects, both onshore and offshore. It calls for federal government agencies to not issue new permits, approvals and loans for wind projects pending a comprehensive multi-agency review.
The order uses misleading language to justify its provisions, incorrectly suggesting, among other things, that wind is not a reliable energy source and that offshore wind harms wildlife.
Wind combined with energy storage like batteries and grid management can be a reliable and inexpensive energy source. There is also no evidence that the offshore wind industry kills large marine mammals like whales. Still, Trump specified in the order "the importance of marine life, impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns."
Wind energy advocates expected Trump to use his position as president to oppose the wind industry — though this order goes further than expected says Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, a trade group that advocates for renewable energy.
"They're potentially saying, let's have a do-over and kind of redo the bureaucracy to permit these facilities that are already underway," Grumet says. "So that's troubling."
Here's what you need to know about the new executive order and wind in the U.S..
What does the wind industry in the U.S. look like now?
Wind makes up about 10% of the U.S. electricity mix — the largest single source of renewable energy. In states like Iowa and South Dakota more than half of the state's electricity comes from wind.
More than 131,000 people work in wind in the U.S., according to the Department of Energy jobs report.
Wind makes up about 10% of the U.S. electricity mix — the largest single source of renewable energy. John Moore/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption
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John Moore/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
Building wind turbines produces some planet-heating carbon dioxide, but once operational, wind energy doesn't cause climate pollution like oil, gas and coal. And unlike fossil fuels, wind energy doesn't create air pollution.
The offshore wind energy is still small in the U.S. Both onshore and offshore wind have faced challenges in recent years including interest rates, supply chain problems, and public opposition — over concerns about disrupting views and hurting tourism, as well as other doubts, some fueled by misinformation.
How does this order affect wind projects?
The executive order halts offshore wind lease sales in federal waters. It says there will be no new permits or leases issued for wind projects on public lands and waters pending a review from multiple federal agencies.
Wind energy advocates in Virginia and Massachusetts believe some offshore wind projects already operational or under construction in these states can still go ahead – at least for now. There is concern that the multi-agency review could lead to some leases getting canceled.
"There's a lot of uncertainty now as to how all this is going to be implemented," says Francis Pullaro, president of RENEW Northeast, an association of energy industry and environmental advocates in New England.
The order also could impact onshore wind projects on private lands, Grumet says. That's because the order could be interpreted to apply to federal permits sometimes used for wind projects, like permits that cover projects in the path of a migratory bird or bat.
The order also calls for a temporary halt on a specific wind project in Idaho, the Lava Ridge project.
Ørsted is a Danish wind company with a large number of wind projects in the U.S. Madeline Urbish, Ørsted's head of public affairs, Americas Region, tells NPR in an email, "We are in the process of reviewing [the order] to assess the impact on our portfolio."
How might this impact climate and energy goals?
Many states have renewable energy and climate targets that require building offshore wind. New York has a goal of 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035, which is enough electric power for about 1.7 million U.S. homes.
New Jersey aims to build 11 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2040. That state has a goal to build a power sector with 100% clean energy by 2050.
Trump's executive order "puts those targets at risk," says Robert Freudenberg, vice president for energy and environment at the Regional Plan Association, an energy nonprofit in the New York metropolitan area.
Wind energy advocates say given Trump's call to unleash American energy dominance, targeting wind energy doesn't make sense. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption
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Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America
The Northeast and East, where many offshore wind projects now face uncertainty, are home to a growing number of power-hungry data centers, says Kris Ohleth, executive director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, a wind policy think tank.
"We are not bringing enough power online fast enough to even meet baseline needs," Ohleth says. "It's really frustrating to be excluding, categorically, one very robust and available at-scale energy supply."
Do offshore wind turbines harm large marine life, like whales?
There are no known links between whale deaths and offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a federal agency
Still many offshore wind critics, including Trump, say without evidence that the offshore wind industry causes whale deaths. There have been mysterious whale deaths on the East Coast in recent years, but the increase in whale deaths began in 2016, before preliminary research into offshore wind in the area began, Ohleth says.
Researchers say whales are at risk from fishing nets, getting hit by ships and human-driven climate change.
How are wind energy advocates reacting to the administration's order?
Wind energy advocates say they could turn to the courts to oppose Trump's executive order.
"Our ambition is not to wind up immediately in litigation," Grumet says. "But multi-billion dollar companies with multi-billion dollar projects on the line will obviously use all recourse if they believe that they're being unfairly undermined."
Many anti-wind advocates are celebrating the executive order. In an emailed statement, REACT Alliance, a group opposing offshore wind in California, writes, "We understand that the process of eliminating offshore wind on all of our coastlines will be a lengthy and complex process but we at REACT Alliance are confident the new administration is up to the task."
The Trump transition team did not respond to NPR's request for comment.
How might this impact American competitiveness in the wind industry?
Governments around the world are embracing wind as a reliable source of electricity. For much of last year, wind was the biggest single source of electricity for the United Kingdom.
China is also pushing onshore and offshore wind, says Alex Wang, a professor of law at UCLA focused on Chinese climate policy. Meanwhile, he says in the U.S., "We're taking a U-turn that will really harm these industries and it'll be hard to compete with China."
Grumet says given Trump's call to unleash American energy dominance, targeting wind energy doesn't make sense.
"That just seems kind of mind-boggling that a pro-America, pro-free market administration would consider telling people to pack up their lunchboxes and go home," Grumet says.
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