No Trump Needed—Wind Just Blew It

This week, a significant offshore wind power project in New York was canceled by the Interior Department due to an inadequate environmental assessment. The wind industry was surprised by the decision, indicating more challenges ahead. Although the Trump administration has posed difficulties for energy transition industries, the cancellation of projects like Empire Wind 1 and the withdrawal of funds from the transition by the DOGE are not related to tariffs but rather Trump’s opposition to wind and solar energy. The growth of wind power generation is predicted to suffer due to expected energy policies. This raises the question of whether technology heavily reliant on federal support should be a cornerstone of a country’s energy security. The situation in Europe, where financial support for the offshore wind industry is seen as necessary for survival, highlights fundamental issues with the transition rather than just policy-related challenges. Negative electricity prices and the management of intermittent generation are among the problems facing the transition in Europe, showing that the challenges are not limited to policy decisions. Despite claims that the transition is unstoppable, examples from Europe suggest otherwise, indicating a need to address fundamental issues beyond policy obstacles.