Trump’s order will not stop the Ca wind leasing

President Donald Trump’s ban on new offshore wind leasing will not stop the giant wind farms that are already planned off the shore of California, but industry employees say the change in policy is a blow to the renewable energy industry, which is still working, To strengthen.

Environmentalists say that the moratorium is a “knees” in offshore wind projects in California and puts an important source of clean energy in “death danger”. The Biden administration has encouraged offshore wind as a crucial importance for providing cleaner energy and reducing climate-warming greenhouse gases.

“I am withdrawing from the location of wind energy that lets all areas within the offshore continental shelf,” which covers all federal waters outside the US, Trump, Trump, Trump wrote in an order On Monday. He said that it is immediately in force and temporarily prevents “any new or renewed wind energy leasing for the purpose of generating electricity or any other use obtained from the use of wind.”

The order has no immediate effect on the leasing contracts already authorized, including two large areas off the shore of California. Trump wrote that “nothing in this order” is “affecting the rights to existing leasing contracts in the withdrawn areas.”

In 2022 the federal government has hired 583 square miles from a deep ocean Waters 20 miles from Moro Bay and Humboldt and Del Norte to energy companies. Capture of offshore wind energy is considered essential to achieving California ambitious target of the electrification of its network with 100% zero carbon energy by 2045S

Trump’s order also prohibits new approvals, permits or loans for both land and offshore wind projects, while its agencies do not conduct a “overall evaluation”, including economic costs and effects on birds, marine mammals and other wild animals.

Existing offshore wind leasing is not safe from the future actions of the new administration. Trump ordered a “comprehensive review” of “termination or change” of offshore wind leasing and ordered his agencies to identify “any legal basis” to remove them.

Trump has a long dislike for all forms of wind energy, and as a candidate he often swore to stop the turbines. He also said, without evidence that offshore wind platforms kill whales. The president repeated his opposition after taking office on Monday. “We will not do the wind,” Trump said. “Large ugly windmills, they ruin your neighborhood.”

The potential environmental effects of California projects are unknown, especially since no other floating wind power plants have been built so far in such deep ocean waters. Developers are still studying technology feasibility and must analyze environmental impact before obtaining state and federal permits.

Technology has its critics outside the oval office, including many residents and local employees In Moro Bay, who are worried that wind power plants and onory development in support of projects will industrialize their coast.

The California windproof plants will contain hundreds of giant turbines, each with a height of about 900 feet high as a 70-storey building. While the platforms would mostly be unprecedented from the coastline, some of them can be seen at night in some areas. In addition, projects will require the expansion of ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Humboldt Bay for storage, organization and assembly of parts.

Making the moratorium one of his first business orders is an unwanted signal for an industry relying on state and federal support. California experts say consistent public policy is crucial for developers to raise funds for investment in projects.

Ken Alex, who was the adviser on the climate change of governor Jerry Brown and former director of the governor and research governor, said the complex and new technology of Offshore Wind requires a long -term engagement from the industry and regulators.

“The timeframe for floating offshore wind is longer than other forms of renewable energy, partly because of the technological challenges, partly due to the environmental review,” says Alex, who is the director of the UC Berkeley climate project. Any interruption of politics and financial support is destructive, he said.

“It takes time, takes resources and takes consistency. The industry is disgusted with uncertainty. “

Offshore wind developers have already been gradual from financial problems: due to lack of interest from the industry, the Federal Ocean Energy Management Bureau, which runs offshore projects of the wind, cancels the sale of leasing in the Gulf of Mexico and is sold only for sale Half of the available leasing contracts in the Bay of Maine last October.

The offshore wind projects in California are in stages of early planning but would be part of the goal of the state to produce 25 Gigawatts offshore wind energy by 2045Power 25 million homes and providing about 13% of the country’s power supply.

California areas with the strongest winds are far from the shore and too deep for traditional platforms, so developers plan clusters from floating platforms in water more than half a mile deep and tied by cables.

The depth, the distance from the shore and the new floating technology increase costs and complicate an already expensive process. Massive infusions of private and public money will be needed, employees say, emphasizing the vulnerability of the industry to the priorities of Washington’s shift.

Alex Stern, CEO of the Offshore Wind California Industrial Group, said, although federal approvals are required, California projects will rely on government agencies to keep many of the next phases.

“As an industry, we are focused on what is progressing in the offshore wind in California and at the moment the bigger part of this is happening at the state level,” Stern said.

Yana Ganion, a senior adviser to governor Gavin News for the offshore wind, was not available to comment on Trump’s order.

California is a bulls about offshore wind, with numerous agencies accelerating reviews and planning. Voters approved an air -conditioning bond that includes $ 475 million for offshore wind development in California ports and the state -owned network operator last year approved a $ 4.6 billion plan To build infrastructure to carry offshore wind energy into the net.

The development of offshore wind energy requires dozens of other initiatives working jointly, including the upgrading and redesigning of ports and ports and updating and expanding much of California’s aged infrastructure. Development approval depends on the training and hiring programs of residents in local communities and in tribes.

The depth, the distance from the shore and the new floating technology increase costs and complicate an already expensive process. Massive infusions of private and public money will be needed, employees say, emphasizing the vulnerability of the industry to the priorities of Washington’s shift.

The justified wind energy in the United States represents nearly 10% of the nation’s electricity. These installations are largely a private land led by Texas, Iowa and Oklahoma. Land owners make money from projects and the industry has a healthy production and job sector.

“This is bad for US workers,” says Kit Kennedy, Managing Director for Power at the Defense Council of Natural Resources, an environmental group. “The growing American wind industry and its production chain create quality jobs and growing local economies along our shores and across the Midwest. This message has outlined these investments – and the jobs that go with them – at a death risk. “

Much of the policy and the resolution of windmill responsibilities fall to the internal department. Trump’s orders mean that the Agency will have to carry out extensive examinations and prepare a report on wind energy.

During his hearing to confirm the Senate, the Trump interior nominee, the former governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum, engaged in the current strategy “All Further” for a variety And they are already in law, then they will continue. “

As a governor and part of the Western Governors Association, Burgum signed the group The resolution of energy policy This included a recommendation for continuing support for offshore wind projects.

Another of the executive orders on Trump’s first day was to open all Alaska’s federal lands for oil exploration and to be removed with “penalties” that slow down or stop drilling.

Alex of UC Berkeley noted that the same environmental effects that Trump said was worried about wind energy did not take into account oil and gas projects.

“This kind of duplication has been right since 1984,” he said.