Trump Plans Offshore Wind Freeze with Draft Executive Order

President-elect Donald Trump moves to halt offshore wind development, signaling a shift toward fossil fuel energy policies.

President-elect Trump tasked Rep. Jeff Van Drew, a critic of offshore wind, with drafting an executive order to pause wind energy projects.
The draft order proposes a six-month freeze on offshore wind development from Rhode Island to Virginia for review of its impacts on fishing, tourism, marine life, and energy costs.
Doug Burgum, Trump's nominee for Interior Secretary, expressed openness to reviewing existing wind projects during his Senate confirmation hearing.
The Biden administration had prioritized offshore wind as a key strategy to combat climate change, approving 11 projects totaling over 19 gigawatts of clean energy.
Critics warn that halting offshore wind could undermine U.S. clean energy goals, job growth, and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector.