Trump halts leasing and permitting for onshore and offshore wind energy projects
By including onshore wind projects too, Monday’s order is far broader than what Van Drew proposed. Trump says wind turbines are horrible, only work with subsidies and are “many, many times” more expensive than natural gas.
Trump halts leasing and permitting for onshore and offshore wind energy projects
by The Associated Press 2 hours ago
EXCERPTS
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects.
The interior secretary will review wind leasing and permitting practices for federal waters and lands. The assessment will consider the environmental impact of wind projects on wildlife, the economic costs associated with the intermittent generation of electricity and the effect of subsidies on the viability of the wind industry, the order states.
Trump wants to increase drilling for oil and gas and has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind. Trump’s pick for interior secretary, Doug Burgum, was asked during his confirmation hearing whether he would commit to continuing with offshore wind leases that have been issued. Burgum said projects that make sense and are already in law will continue..................................
..................Soon after his election, Trump tasked a New Jersey congressman and vocal critic of offshore wind, Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, with drafting an executive order on offshore wind he could issue early in his term. Van Drew said he quickly sent the draft to Burgum. Van Drew views the executive order as a first step toward an eventual moratorium on offshore wind development.
By including onshore wind projects too, Monday’s order is far broader than what Van Drew proposed. Trump says wind turbines are horrible, only work with subsidies and are “many, many times” more expensive than natural gas.
Offshore wind is among the sources of new power generation that will cost the most, at about $100 per megawatt hour for new projects connecting to the grid in 2028, according to estimates from the Energy Information Administration. That includes tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act, which reduces the cost of renewable technologies. But onshore wind is one of the cheapest sources, at about $31 on average for new projects.
New natural gas plants are expected to produce electricity at nearly $43 per megawatt hour, according to the estimates. The EIA said in addition to price, it’s important to consider the reliability of the grid — natural gas power plants can be operated at any time throughout the day, unlike solar or wind.
Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast NJ, one of the most vocal groups opposing offshore wind on the East Coast, said the new executive order is only the first step toward the U.S. moving away from offshore wind, a “harmful technology,” and toward more promising, sustainable energy sources..................................
Story by Jennifer McDermott.
Full piece at https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/01/21/politics/washington/dona...
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Comment by arthur qwenk on January 22, 2025 at 12:15pm
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Wind Warriors of Maine (dating back to the Heinous LiES of The Emergency Wind Law under lying Gov. Baldacci ,PL661 of 2008) were always right and many years ahead of the curve.
Maine has paid dearly in increased energy costs to all, avoidance of many new industries locating to Maine because of those high electron energy costs ,environmental damage to land and vistas, avian damage, real estate loss, and health impacts for those near the projects.
However ,We Are All Vindicated!
Our Negative predictions concerning Wind Industrial Plants coming to Maine came true.
Work to Keep this Halt a Permanent One, and Work to Have Real High BTU , Dense Baseload Energy Return to Maine!
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The tariff idea is excellent and long overdue1
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Comment by Dan McKay on January 22, 2025 at 4:34am
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Now, we must be diligent in watching how the Democrats and Governor Mills respond. There is a 1000MW wind project combined with a billion dollar transmission line enshrined in a law brought about by former Senator Troy Jackson that must be terminated, as well as all proposed offshore wind ports and offshore wind megawatt goals.Perhaps consider removing any tax benefits to existing wind and solar projects and terminating long term contracts with wind and solar projects costing Maine ratepayers millions per year. Actually, assigning a tariff to existing projects for ratepayer reparations should be called for.
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A four year reprieve? Bringing common sense back to life!
Maine as Third World Country:
CMP Transmission Rate Skyrockets 19.6% Due to Wind Power
Click here to read how the Maine ratepayer has been sold down the river by the Angus King cabal.
Maine Center For Public Interest Reporting – Three Part Series: A CRITICAL LOOK AT MAINE’S WIND ACT
******** IF LINKS BELOW DON'T WORK, GOOGLE THEM*********
(excerpts) From Part 1 – On Maine’s Wind Law “Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine if the law’s goals were met." . – Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, August 2010 https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/From Part 2 – On Wind and Oil Yet using wind energy doesn’t lower dependence on imported foreign oil. That’s because the majority of imported oil in Maine is used for heating and transportation. And switching our dependence from foreign oil to Maine-produced electricity isn’t likely to happen very soon, says Bartlett. “Right now, people can’t switch to electric cars and heating – if they did, we’d be in trouble.” So was one of the fundamental premises of the task force false, or at least misleading?" https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/wind-swept-task-force-set-the-rules/From Part 3 – On Wind-Required New Transmission Lines Finally, the building of enormous, high-voltage transmission lines that the regional electricity system operator says are required to move substantial amounts of wind power to markets south of Maine was never even discussed by the task force – an omission that Mills said will come to haunt the state.“If you try to put 2,500 or 3,000 megawatts in northern or eastern Maine – oh, my god, try to build the transmission!” said Mills. “It’s not just the towers, it’s the lines – that’s when I begin to think that the goal is a little farfetched.” https://www.pinetreewatchdog.org/flaws-in-bill-like-skating-with-dull-skates/
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Hannah Pingree on the Maine expedited wind law
Hannah Pingree - Director of Maine's Office of Innovation and the Future
"Once the committee passed the wind energy bill on to the full House and Senate, lawmakers there didn’t even debate it. They passed it unanimously and with no discussion. House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree, a Democrat from North Haven, says legislators probably didn’t know how many turbines would be constructed in Maine."
https://pinetreewatch.org/wind-power-bandwagon-hits-bumps-in-the-road-3/
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