Vietnam Express reported on December 24 that the Trump administration has ordered a halt to land leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects, impacting billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs. The list of suspended projects includes the Virginia Coast Wind Farm, the largest wind farm in the United States, originally scheduled for completion by the end of next year.
This wind farm is planned to have 176 wind turbines with an installed capacity of 2 gigawatts, expected to provide enough electricity for 600,000 homes in Virginia. Other affected wind farms include Vineyard Wind 1 (Massachusetts), Revolution Wind (Rhode Island), Sunrise Wind (Long Island and New England), and Empire Wind 1 (Long Island). The Revolution Wind project, which has received $5 billion in investment, is currently 80% complete. The project, along with the states of Rhode Island and Connecticut, sued the Trump administration in September over the previous work stoppage.
This move by the Trump administration has drawn criticism not only from clean energy companies but also from fossil fuel groups. Oil and gas companies have already invested heavily in offshore wind projects. Eric Milito, president of the National Oceanic Industry Association, urged the government to lift the suspension order and avoid any further actions that could harm jobs and investment.
