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Clean energy is under attack.
From the start, Donald Trump made clear his priority was propping up oil, gas, and coal: fossil fuels that belong in the past.
But the Trump administration is going further than we could’ve imagined to protect the dirty energy industry, moving to stop any and all offshore wind projects — even if it means worsening their own self-declared “energy crisis,” raising electricity prices, and cutting jobs across the country.
Congress must stand up to this administration to protect offshore wind projects and the cost savings and jobs that come with them. Send a letter now.
What’s happening?
From Day One, the Trump administration has worked to block new projects and stall offshore wind projects that are fully permitted and even well under construction:
- President Trump issued a directive halting new leases for offshore wind and froze all wind project approvals indefinitely
- The Department of Energy forced fossil fuel plants in Michigan and Pennsylvania to stay open past retirement, despite studies showing operating such fossil plants could cost consumers $3–$6 billion a year
- And just five days after claiming that a coal plant was “needed,” the administration ordered construction to stop on Revolution Wind — a wind project off the coasts of Rhode Island and Connecticut that is over 80 percent complete and on track to power 350,000 homes by next year.
It makes no sense to block affordable clean energy while spending billions to keep outdated, polluting coal and gas plants running. Tell your members of Congress to defend offshore wind.
What’s at stake?
Dirty sources of energy like gas, oil, and coal pollute our environment and fuel the climate crisis. It’s also increasingly more expensive while less reliable. We’ve routinely seen outdated coal- and gas-fired power plants fail us when we’ve needed them most, like during summer’s brutal heat waves and winter’s icy blasts.
The Trump administration’s attacks on the offshore wind industry threaten to:
Raise our bills. In the case of Revolution Wind, a state agency predicted residents would have to pay half a billion dollars more each year in energy costs if the project goes unfinished.
Destroy livelihoods. A total of nine permitted offshore wind projects — including five that are already under construction — that have created 9,000 jobs are paused or under investigation by the Trump administration. When these approved and under-construction projects are stopped, workers are left worrying about whether they will have a job.
Harm businesses. Manufacturers in 40 states produce parts or services for the offshore wind industry. A halt to the steady stream of projects will harm these businesses.
Congress must fight for hardworking people to keep their clean energy jobs and more money in their pockets.
What is NRDC doing?
NRDC challenged the Department of Energy’s order to keep the Michigan and Pennsylvania plants running, and we supported a lawsuit brought by attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., challenging the Trump administration’s directive to block new wind energy projects.
And just last week, a federal judge ruled that the company behind Revolution Wind could continue construction on the nearly-complete project while their case challenging the stop-work order moves through the court systems. While this is great news, make no mistake — this green light is temporary.
What can you do?
Make your voice heard. The Trump administration is engaging in federal overreach in large part because the president has a personal grievance against an offshore wind farm within sight of his Scottish golf course. This petty shortsightedness is detrimental to our country’s ability to build a resilient electrical grid fueled by clean and affordable energy.
Every single state is negatively impacted by this attack on offshore wind energy, which means every member of Congress has a duty to defend the workers and electric bill payers they represent. Send a letter to Congress demanding that they protect offshore wind without delay.
Sincerely,
NRDC
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