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Biden Administration Pushes Offshore Wind Forward Amid Trump Opposition

Maggie Johnson

By Maggie Johnson

December 5, 2024

Image Credit: “Offshore Wind for America-Environment America,” available at Yahoo Images (12/05/2024).


The Biden administration is aggressively advancing offshore wind development along the U.S. East Coast, with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) pushing forward two major projects despite the potential challenges the incoming Trump administration poses. These initiatives are part of the administration’s unwavering commitment to combating climate change and transitioning the U.S. to cleaner energy sources.

On Tuesday, BOEM issued a Record of Decision for six lease areas in the New York Bight region, located offshore New York and New Jersey. Spanning over 488,000 acres, these sites have the capacity to generate up to 7 gigawatts of wind energy, enough to power approximately two million homes.

The decision includes 58 environmental protection measures that developers must incorporate into their Construction and Operations Plans. BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein highlighted the agency’s inclusive approach: "As part of our environmental review, BOEM engaged with Tribes, federal and state agencies, local communities, ocean users, and key stakeholders, and reflected their feedback in our Record of Decision." This inclusive process minimizes environmental disruption while ensuring the projects align with local priorities and concerns.

Simultaneously, BOEM approved the Construction and Operations Plan for the Maryland Offshore Wind project, which will become the nation's tenth commercial-scale offshore wind initiative. Located about nine nautical miles from Sussex County, Delaware, the project is set to deliver over 2 gigawatts of clean energy to the Delmarva Peninsula. The infrastructure will include up to 114 wind turbine generators, four offshore substations, and a meteorological tower. The project’s two phases, MarWin and Momentum Wind, have already secured renewable energy certificates from Maryland, signaling robust regional support for the initiative.

These developments align with the Biden-Harris administration's ambitious goal of installing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2030. The Department of the Interior has approved over 15 gigawatts of offshore wind energy—enough to power approximately 5.25 million homes. These projects are poised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of jobs in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance, providing a promising outlook for the economy.

However, the offshore wind sector faces uncertainty with Donald Trump's return to the White House. The president-elect has consistently opposed offshore wind projects, citing concerns about costs, aesthetics, and environmental impacts. He has vowed to issue an executive order on his first day in office to halt offshore wind development. Instead, Trump plans to prioritize issuing permits for liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports and expanding oil drilling on federal lands and U.S. coastal waters, signaling a sharp return to fossil fuels.

These contrasting energy policies underscore a broader national debate about the future of the U.S. energy sector. While the Biden administration aims to position the U.S. as a global leader in renewable energy, a potential Trump administration could steer the country back to a fossil fuel-centric approach, possibly stalling critical progress in the offshore wind sector at a pivotal moment.


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