Posted on June 23, 2025
The burgeoning offshore wind industry in the United States is facing significant headwinds as the Trump administration moves to dismantle policies that previously encouraged its growth, leaving a trail of stalled projects and heightened uncertainty.
What was once heralded as a key pillar of America’s green energy future under President Joe Biden is now experiencing a profound chilling effect, with developers pulling back amid unfavorable economic conditions and a clear shift in federal priorities.
Trump has made his stance on wind energy unequivocally clear.
On June 12, he stated, “The windmills are killing our country by the way. We’re not going to approve windmills unless something happens that’s an emergency. … I guess it could happen, but we’re not doing any of them.”
True to his word, on his first day back in the Oval Office, Trump initiated a temporary withdrawal of all offshore wind leasing on the Continental Shelf and ordered a comprehensive review of all existing wind leasing permits.
This abrupt policy reversal has had immediate consequences.
According to E&E News, approximately a dozen East Coast offshore wind projects envisioned during the Biden era have been paused. This includes a recently scrapped development off the coast of New Jersey and a major project along the Massachusetts coast currently under review.
“We’ve seen a chilling effect across the industry from the administration’s stance on offshore wind, and subsequent damaging executive orders,” Katharine Kollins, president of the Southeastern Wind Coalition, told E&E News.
The impact is already evident in the actions of major energy players. Shell, which had committed nearly $1 billion to the New Jersey project before dropping out in January, has reportedly stated to E&E News that it “will not lead new offshore wind developments.”
This sentiment underscores a broader reluctance within the industry to invest in a volatile regulatory environment.
While federal policy has shifted dramatically, some Democratic state officials remain committed to offshore wind. Notably, Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul successfully kept her state’s massive offshore wind project alive in May.
Reports suggest this was in exchange for cooperation with the Trump administration on fossil fuel pipelines within the state, though Hochul’s office has denied any official deal.
Beyond the political tug-of-war, the offshore wind industry has also encountered growing public and environmental opposition in recent years. Concerns have mounted over the routing of high-voltage cables through residential areas and a noticeable increase in dead whales and dolphins washing ashore along the East Coast, which some observers link to increased ocean industrialization.
Furthermore, malfunctioning turbines off the New England coast have shed debris into the ocean, raising alarms among environmentalists about potential harm to marine life. Fishermen have also vocalized their opposition, arguing that offshore wind farms pose a direct threat to their livelihoods and the fishing industry.
As the Trump administration doubles down on its opposition to offshore wind, the future of America’s ocean industrialization and its role in the nation’s energy mix remains highly uncertain. The industry, once propelled by federal incentives and a clear pathway for expansion, now finds itself in a precarious position, grappling with both economic headwinds and a formidable political counter-current.
