Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
4h ago

Trump Offshore Wind Crackdown Squeezes U.S. Ports and Shipyards

Officials pledge a pivot to traditional shipbuilding to compete with China.

A drone view shows rotor blades and other parts for the ongoing construction of the Revolution Wind offshore wind turbine farm, staged on the State Pier in New London, Connecticut, U.S., September 23, 2025. The Revolution Wind project, which is a joint venture between the Danish company Orsted and Skyborn Renewables, is located 15 miles off the coast of Rhode Island and is 80% complete with all offshore foundations in place and 45 of 65 wind turbines installed. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
A U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat passes a barge carrying jacket support structures and platforms for wind turbines in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off Block Island, Rhode Island July 27, 2015. REUTERS/Brian Snyder/File Photo
Image

Overview

  • The Department of Transportation canceled 12 grants worth $679 million in August for ports preparing for offshore wind, including $34 million for a planned Salem, Massachusetts facility.
  • Maersk scrapped a $475 million order for a turbine-installation vessel for New York’s Empire Wind project, and builder Seatrium said it is weighing options that could include legal action.
  • Rhode Island’s Blount Boats halted construction of crew transfer vessels due to the lack of contracts, while Seacor Marine moved to sell two U.S.-flagged liftboats for $76 million citing delays and cancellations.
  • Humboldt Bay in Northern California lost $426.7 million in federal support and now expects a roughly five-year delay to at least 2035, and Norfolk, Virginia revised a port plan away from wind-focused logistics.
  • Developers warn of legal and financial jeopardy as stop-work orders and permit reviews disrupt timelines, with US Wind telling a court its Maryland project faces procurement setbacks and potential bankruptcy if canceled.