Now the Biden administration has chosen to press pause on offshore wind energy projects along the entire Atlantic coastline over concerns of national security. This decision now applies to five major offshore wind farms that are finally being built in New York, Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut. The moratorium would appear to benefit former President Donald Trump’s long-standing opposition to wind energy, which he has called unreliable and a waste of money.
On January 20, the first day of his administration, Trump issued a memorandum halting all offshore wind permits and new leases pending a federal review. This move faced legal challenges, and a federal judge later struck down Trump’s attempt to ban such projects, deeming it “arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law.” Five months after Trump moved, a coalition of 17 states, led by New York, was ready to pounce. They subsequently sued the administration, contending that the ban represented an “existential” threat to the U.S. wind sector.
The recent decision to pause projects arises from security assessments that suggest offshore wind installations could complicate national defense strategies. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum expressed concerns, stating that the wind projects may hinder the ability to “determine what’s friend and foe in our airspace.” In addition, Burgum pointed to the current drone war between Russia and Ukraine and another between Iran and Israel as demonstrating future dangers.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont was one of the first to respond, and responded angrily to the administration’s decision. He characterized the pause as an “erratic” decision that would increase net electricity costs for the entire region. The Department of the Interior supported the pause, arguing that it “addresses emerging national security risks,” particularly regarding new adversary technologies and vulnerabilities linked to large-scale offshore wind projects near densely populated areas.
In their filing, Dominion Energy boasted that their current pilot turbines have been in operation for five years. Surprisingly, these turbines have threatened our national security at no time. Nevertheless, the ruling has already had short-term economic consequences for wind energy companies affected by the decision. Danish wind energy giant Orsted’s share price sunk by 12%. At the same, Vestas’s own share price dropped 2.6% in the wake of that announcement.
The demand for energy in the United States is projected to increase steeply in the near future, fueled in part by the expansion of artificial intelligence companies. This uncertain cease-and-desist is alarming in its long-term ramifications for all transformative renewable energy projects everywhere in our country.