President Donald Trump said a temporary halt on offshore wind farm development off the New Jersey coast will become permanent, according to Reuters.
Trump made the remarks during a campaign phone call for New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli.
He said his administration’s suspension of new federal offshore wind leasing, pending an environmental and economic review, would not be reversed, reiterating his long-held criticism of the industry. Trump has previously argued that wind turbines are “ugly, expensive and harm wildlife,” according to Reuters.
New Jersey is one of the United States’ leading offshore wind markets. Former governor Phil Murphy had set a target of 11GW by 2040 to boost clean energy and cut emissions.
In its fourth offshore wind solicitation, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities had sought up to 4GW of new capacity. Two of the three bidders withdrew, leaving only Atlantic Shores – a joint venture between Shell and France’s EDF – Reuters noted.
Atlantic Shores received federal approval under former President Joe Biden’s administration. Its Atlantic Shores South project is expected to generate up to 2.8GW of electricity, enough to power nearly one million homes, according to the US Interior Department.