Democratic governors of five Northeast states called for federally permitted offshore wind power projects to proceed, amid the Trump administration’s onslaught against renewable energy development.
In a joint statement issued on Labor Day, Govs. Kathy Hochul of New York, Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Dan McKee of Rhode Island, and Phil Murphy of New Jersey assailed the loss of jobs if the Trump clawbacks stand.
The governors’ statement followed the Trump administration’s Aug. 29 announcement that $697 million in wind power-related port and infrastructure grants are being cancelled.
“We are looking for the Trump Administration to uphold all offshore wind permits already granted and allow these projects to be constructed,” the governors stated. “Efforts to walk back these commitments jeopardize hardworking families, wasting years of progress and ceding leadership to foreign competitors.”
The governors are trying to save projects already underway, like the Revolution Wind turbine array that was already around 80% complete off southern New England when the Department of the Interior issued a sudden stop-work order Aug. 22.
An earlier stoppage of the Empire Wind project off New York was reversed in mid-May, and construction on that 54-turbine array continues. But the Trump administration continues to threaten other projects off New England and Maryland, and the governors point to new jobs now at risk.
“On Labor Day, we honor the strength, skill, and determination of America’s workers. From construction sites and factories to ports and power plants, working people are the backbone of our economy and the foundation of our shared prosperity,” according to the joint statement.
“Nowhere is that clearer than in the offshore wind industry, where labor is on the front lines. Today, more than 5,000 workers – many of them proud union members—are directly engaged with building this new American industry, with many thousands more manufacturing products across 40 states that will help lead to a new era of U.S. energy independence.”
“Workers, businesses, and communities need certainty, not reversals that would cost tens of thousands of American jobs and critical investment. Sudden reversals would also impact countless other workers and taxpayers on scores of non-energy public projects.”
“The U.S. markets operate on certainty. Canceling projects that have already been fully permitted--including some near completion – sends the worrisome message to investors that the work can be stopped on a whim, which could lead them to decide to either not finance different projects or impose higher interest rates that would ultimately place a bigger burden on taxpayers.”
