Trump halts preferential treatment for ‘unreliable, foreign-controlled’ wind energy

The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced on Tuesday that it is ending “preferential treatment” for what it calls unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources that were favored by the Biden administration.

The DOI unveiled four key policy changes aimed at promoting “affordable, reliable energy development in America,” while scaling back support for renewable energy. DOI Secretary Doug Burgum directed his agency to repeal policies that favor wind and solar energy, and to reconsider the vast areas of land and water allocated for wind development under the previous administration.

“These policy changes represent a commonsense approach to energy that puts Americans’ interests first,” said Burgum. “Leveling the playing field in permitting supports energy development that’s reliable, affordable, and built to last. We’re also making sure tribes and local communities have a real seat at the table. This move is about responsible energy growth that works for every American.”

At the heart of the reforms is the secretary’s order titled “Ending Preferential Treatment for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources in Department Decision-Making.” The order directs the department to identify and eliminate policies that favor wind and solar energy, whose supply chains are “controlled by foreign rivals.”

China holds at least 60% of the world’s manufacturing capacity for green energy technologies such as wind systems, solar panels and batteries, according to a 2023 report from the International Energy Agency.

DOI’s Tuesday announcement builds on President Donald Trump’s July 7 executive order titled, “Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources.”

“Reliance on so-called ‘green’ subsidies threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries,” reads the executive order. “Ending the massive cost of taxpayer handouts to unreliable energy sources is vital to energy dominance, national security, economic growth, and the fiscal health of the Nation.”

Other changes include the potential withdrawal of certain federal designations for onshore and offshore wind development. The DOI says this move will help ensure energy development on public lands is balanced with other potential priorities and protect “coastal environments and local economies from unchecked development.”

At the end of the Biden administration, over 3.5 million acres of offshore areas were designated as Wind Energy Areas, allowing the federal government to auction them for wind development, the DOI said. The previous administration also provided generous tax credits and subsidies to offshore wind projects under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, with the goal of powering 10 million homes with wind energy by 2030.

The Biden administration’s Department of Transportation, led by Pete Buttigieg, approved dozens of wind projects near critical infrastructure — such as highways and railroads — despite documented safety concerns, the New York Post reported. Under Buttigieg, the department reportedly failed to issue safety recommendations for over 100 wind projects.

Going forward, the department said it would ensure stakeholders — including native tribes, fishing industries and coastal towns — are more actively engaged in offshore wind development to improve transparency and collaboration. Concerns about the ecological impacts of wind turbines have been raised by a range of groups, including fishermen and some environmental organizations, especially after incidents where damaged blades scattered toxic debris into the ocean.

The department also announced it will investigate the “avian mortality rate” tied to wind turbines located in migratory flight paths. The review will examine whether these deaths violate the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and other wildlife protection laws.

“Windmills are a disgrace,” Trump, a longtime critic of wind energy, said on Tuesday. “They hurt everything they touch. They’re ugly. They’re very inefficient. It’s the most expensive form of energy there is.”

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