‘It’s Going to Hurt Us’: Trump Puts 15,000 Offshore Wind Jobs at Risk With Halt Orders

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(Bloomberg) — Cesar Lima never gave much thought to the politics of offshore wind. Most days, the ironworker focused on his shift 15 miles out at sea, climbing turbines and watching dolphins gliding past his vessel off the coast of Rhode Island.

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That changed when President Donald Trump’s administration ordered work to stop on the Revolution Wind project a month ago.

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Lima’s job is now at risk as Trump threatens to shutter offshore wind farms, upending states’ investments to support the clean energy source. The administration’s actions have postponed, if not outright eliminated, years of potential construction work. Altogether, more than 15,000 prospective and current jobs tied to wind projects in New England are under threat from the potential shutdowns, according to a Bloomberg analysis of company and state announcements. 

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For now, Lima and other specialized union staff are still stationed with the Revolution Wind project, and he’s continuing to get paid. But Lima worries about what comes next for his family, including three children, who depend on his income. Ironworkers on the project earn about $76 an hour with pension and health benefits, typically working 84-hour weeks on four-week rotations, according to David Langlais of the Iron Workers union.

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“I just came here to work for my family and I don’t really pay attention to all the political stuff,” Lima said, adding that he was confused why the White House would stop the Revolution project when it’s already 80% completed. “If the work stops and it keeps going like this, it’s going to hurt us.”

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Trump has long opposed offshore wind, suing unsuccessfully before he became president to block a project within view of his golf course in Scotland. But the recent escalation of his administration’s battle against the industry risks clashing with simultaneous claims that the White House’s policies are fueling investment and job growth. 

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The bulk of potential job losses stem from government actions targeting several wind farms off the New England coast. The US Interior Department issued a stop-work order in August for the Revolution Wind farm, which is being built by Denmark’s Orsted A/S and Global Infrastructure Partners. The Revolution project supports more than 2,000 jobs, about half of which are union roles, according to Orsted. 

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The wind farm venture has sued to force the Trump administration to allow work to restart on the project. Revolution Wind has said it’s already spent $5 billion on the project and is now at risk of incurring an estimated $1 billion in breakaway costs.

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“We have invested a significant amount of time and money” to support offshore wind, Rhode Island Democratic Governor Dan McKee said in an interview, referencing the state’s spending on training programs for workers, port upgrades in Quonset and a new offshore wind construction hub — all of which generated local jobs.