HYANNIS – President Donald Trump has doubled down on campaign promises he made to halt the offshore wind industry. He has issued an executive order temporarily suspending new leases for wind on the outer continental shelf.
The order does not impact existing leases, or oil or gas developments.
The order also requires a federal review of the sector’s impact on the environment, specifically potential deaths of birds and marine mammals.
Trump has repeatedly expressed concern that turbines kill animals while on the campaign trail, however, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has previously said that there is no evidence linking offshore wind developments and bird or marine mammal deaths.
Offshore wind developments originally set to sign with utilities this month have also postponed agreements.
Avangrid and Ocean Winds’ developments New England Wind 1 and SouthCoast Wind will now wait to sign until after President Donald Trump’s term gets underway, reportedly by March 31.
Both projects are located just south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.
Wind power provides 10% of the nation’s energy, but it has been expensive to build. Wind developer Orsted reported a $1.7 billion dollar hit to its earnings amid high construction costs for the sector.