The Trump administration just yanked the plug on $679 million in offshore wind projects, signaling a sharp pivot from Biden’s green energy fixation.
The Daily Caller reported that on Friday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) axed funding for 12 offshore wind initiatives, redirecting resources to bolster America’s maritime industry.
This decision scraps taxpayer dollars previously funneled into projects championed by former President Joe Biden. It’s a bold move to prioritize practical infrastructure over what critics call pie-in-the-sky environmental schemes.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy didn’t mince words, calling the funding “wasteful” and a distraction from rebuilding the nation’s shipbuilding capacity.
“Wasteful wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” Duffy said. His jab at Biden’s agenda underscores a broader push to rethink energy priorities.
The DOT’s decision aligns with President Donald Trump’s April 9 executive order to “restore maritime dominance.” That order set the tone for prioritizing American shipbuilding over what the administration sees as unreliable green energy ventures. It’s a clear signal: the focus is on tangible economic gains, not symbolic climate gestures.
Biden’s presidency saw billions poured into solar, wind, and offshore wind projects, often over local objections. One such project, a large wind farm greenlit in Biden’s final weeks, faced resident protests but was approved anyway. Trump’s team has since moved to scrap it, citing concerns about its viability and impact.
The Department of the Interior (DOI) has also aimed to target three major Biden-era wind farms for termination. On July 30, the DOI labeled wind and solar energy “unreliable” and “foreign-controlled.” This blunt assessment reflects a growing skepticism about green energy’s role in America’s future.
Offshore wind projects aren’t just a budgetary issue—they’ve sparked environmental backlash. Fishermen, environmentalists, and the Trump administration argue these projects threaten wildlife, from marine life to migratory birds.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed the Biden administration skipped critical environmental reviews for some projects.
A NOAA spokesperson didn’t hold back, stating, “The actions taken by the Biden Administration show a complete lack of regard for the decades of rigorous scientific research and expertise that formed NOAA’s environmental protection recommendations for offshore wind projects.”
This critique suggests Biden’s team prioritized ideology over science. It’s a stinging rebuke for a policy sold as eco-friendly.
The same NOAA spokesperson added, “Internal records kept by NOAA scientists show that the Biden Administration ignored NOAA’s guidelines meant to safeguard the ecosystem, rubber-stamping these greenwashed projects and ignoring the negative impacts of offshore wind on the marine environment.”
The charge of “greenwashing” hits hard, exposing a gap between Biden’s rhetoric and reality. Trump’s team is seizing on this to justify their rollback.
The $679 million originally allocated for these wind projects may not go to waste. The DOT is considering “recompeting” the funds for critical port upgrades or other infrastructure priorities. This move could deliver measurable benefits to coastal communities, unlike wind farms that often face local pushback.
Trump’s broader energy strategy is taking shape through actions like the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. This legislation is phasing out green energy tax credits, a cornerstone of Biden’s climate agenda. It’s a calculated shift toward what the administration sees as more dependable energy sources.
The DOI’s July 30 decision to end “preferable treatment” for wind and solar on federal lands further cements this pivot. By removing these subsidies, the administration is betting on market-driven energy solutions over government-backed experiments. Critics of Biden’s policies see this as a return to fiscal sanity.
Biden’s tenure was marked by an all-in bet on green energy, often at the expense of local concerns and economic realities. His administration’s approval of projects, despite inadequate environmental reviews, has fueled skepticism about their true impact. Trump’s team is capitalizing on this, framing their reversals as a defense of both nature and taxpayer dollars.
Transportation Secretary Duffy summed up the administration’s stance: “Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg bent over backwards to use transportation dollars for their Green New Scam agenda while ignoring the dire needs of our shipbuilding industry.”
His “Green New Scam” jab is a nod to conservative critics who view Biden’s policies as more performative than practical. Yet, the tone risks alienating those who see value in renewable energy.
