(Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Monday signaled the end of U.S. government support for wind power, saying wind farms are ugly, expensive and harm wildlife.
“We’re not going to deal with wind,” Trump said during an event following his inauguration.
A White House press release earlier in the day said Trump intended to terminate the new lease for “massive wind farms.”
“President Trump’s energy policy will end the leasing of massive wind farms that degrade our natural landscapes and do not serve America’s energy consumers,” the statement said.
The comments sparked concern among wind farm representatives, who said Trump’s position was shaken by his pledge to maximize national energy production.
“The urgent national energy crisis requires us to unleash all of America’s needed energy sources — including offshore wind,” said Hillary Bright, executive director of the offshore wind advocacy group Turn Forward.
Former US President Joe Biden saw wind power as a vital part of his strategy to decarbonise the US energy sector in the fight against climate change, and his government has held multiple auctions aimed at developing major new projects.
Trump’s opposition to wind farms represents a reversal from his first term, when his administration also sought to encourage offshore wind development.
