A national moratorium on offshore wind leasing and permitting may have only limited effects in Massachusetts and other New England states, according to several wind industry observers.
Their comments came after Trump signed an halting federal approvals for wind energy projects on Monday, his first official day in office.
鈥淲e鈥檙e obviously not happy to see the Trump administration issuing an order on day one that targets offshore wind,鈥� said Kate Sinding Daly, senior vice president for law and policy at the Conservation Law Foundation. 鈥娾�淏ut the practical import of this executive order on wind energy is not very significant 鈥� at least as relates to New England.鈥�
Trump鈥檚 order directs the federal government to stop leasing new areas of the outer continental shelf for electricity production, and it effectively hits the pause button on all projects still in the development pipeline. But it stops short of immediately bringing to a standstill the that are fully permitted in waters up and down the East Coast.
Many of those projects are under construction or already operational. They include , and SouthCoast Wind, which will provide power to Massachusetts, as well as several projects providing power to other Northeast states.
鈥淚n New England, we鈥檝e got about 6.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy that is already leased and already permitted, and which would be unaffected by anything in this order 鈥� at least for now,鈥� Sinding Daly said.
That amount of energy would be enough to power roughly 3.25 million homes.
The projects could face challenges in the future, however. Trump鈥檚 order instructs federal officials to review the 鈥渆cological, economic, and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases.鈥� That could pave the way for officials to reassess or revoke leases that have already been granted, industry experts warned.
Sinding Daly said any attempt to dissolve federal contracts or rescind federal permits would almost certainly be met with legal challenges.
Some New England projects will be left in limbo, at the very least, by the executive order. They include a handful that still require some federal approvals 鈥� like Beacon Wind and near Massachusetts. The developers will have to await a federal review of the industry, and the projects could face an uncertain future.
The order also prevents developers who obtained leases in the Gulf of Maine from beginning the permitting process for their projects 鈥� though industry observers noted any projects in that region are likely years away from reaching this stage. They will rely on , which aren鈥檛 yet commercially available. Developers with leases in the Gulf of Mexico and on the West Coast are in a similar position.
While many local and national environmental activists slammed Trump鈥檚 order, some in the region celebrated the news.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time since fishermen have had hope for a future,鈥� said Jerry Leeman, founder and CEO of the New England Fishermen鈥檚 Stewardship Association, a nonprofit led by commercial fishermen that . 鈥嬧�嬧�淎fter four years of rushing leases and approvals to wind industry insiders, President Trump鈥檚 new directive will bring fairness and order to offshore wind development.鈥�
Monday鈥檚 executive order on wind energy of other energy and environmental-related orders, including the declaration of an 鈥溾�� and a promise to once again withdraw the U.S. from the 2015 Paris Agreement.
The order could have an overall on the nation鈥檚 wind industry by hampering development and investment.
Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, one of the largest renewable energy industry associations in the country, said his organization opposes broad measures to hinder wind development. He described wind development as 鈥渆ssential鈥� to meeting the country鈥檚 growing power needs and keeping electricity prices at bay.
In Grumet highlighted what he sees as a contradiction between Trump鈥檚 stated goals of energy dominance and independence, and his hostile approach to wind energy.
鈥淲hile on one hand the Administration seeks to reduce bureaucracy and unleash energy production, on the other it increases bureaucratic barriers, undermining domestic energy development and harming American businesses and workers,鈥� Grumet said.
Trump鈥檚 pause on new wind leases and permits 鈥渋s a speed bump, for sure,鈥� said Kris Ohleth, director of the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, an independent think tank that supports the industry. But, she added, there are tougher measures the president could have taken, such as freezing all construction or rescinding the clean energy tax credits wind farm developers rely on.
鈥淲e have been bracing for the end of permitting and leasing, and [this order] was basically what the sector expected to see,鈥� she said.
Further action to stop wind energy may still be coming. New Jersey Congressman Jeff Van Drew he鈥檚 been working to 鈥渓ay the groundwork,鈥� for permanent measures against offshore wind, which he expected to be finalized within the first few months of the Trump administration.
Gov. Maura Healey鈥檚 administration did not immediately comment on Trump鈥檚 order but in the past has pledged to support offshore wind 鈥� even it means going up against the federal government.
鈥淥ffshore wind is vital for us to meet our clean energy and climate goals,鈥� Massachusetts Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Rebecca Tepper 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 Trump or anybody else, we need to keep our eye on the ball and keep trying to move the industry forward in whatever ways we can.鈥�
Offshore wind has had ups and downs , but time 鈥� and climate realities 鈥� may be on its side, said Sinding Daly of the Conservation Law Foundation. She said wind remains one of the only feasible, large-scale renewable energy options for the Northeast, and it offers strong economic development opportunities.
鈥淚 continue to think there鈥檚 an inevitability to offshore wind continuing to displace fossil fuels in this region,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat isn鈥檛 going to be terminated by actions from this administration.鈥�
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