Trump Officials Aim to Derail Another Offshore Wind Initiative

The Trump administration has escalated its opposition to offshore wind energy by moving to revoke permits for the US Wind project off Maryland’s coast, which was previously approved in December. The Interior Department plans to rescind the construction and operation permit by September 12, citing national security concerns.

This decision is part of a broader strategy to impede coastal wind energy expansion, following the halt of Ørsted’s nearly completed Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island and Connecticut, also due to vague national security issues.

These actions have raised alarms about the reliability of the energy grid in New England and have led to speculation regarding political motivations behind the administration’s decisions. The clean energy sector fears this stance may deter future investments in renewable energy.

Notably, despite a global investment of $386 billion in renewable energy in the first half of 2025, the U.S. has failed to rank among the top five wind energy markets for the first time since 2016. This downturn is attributed to policy changes under the Trump administration, which reversed federal support for renewables, creating uncertainty around tariffs and imposing new constraints on wind and solar projects.

The administration’s actions have prompted legal challenges and significant backlash from local Democratic governors, further straining relationships between federal and state authorities over energy policy. As a result, the future of offshore wind projects in the U.S. appears uncertain, reflecting the ongoing tension between renewable energy expansion and the current administration’s agenda.