Offshore Wind Energy Industry Persists, Yet Job Stability Remains Elusive
In a surprising turn of events, the Trump administration has halted funding for several offshore wind energy projects across the United States, affecting the progress of various wind power development programs. The decision, made by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on August 29, 2025, has sparked controversy and raised concerns about job losses and energy costs.
The Revolution Wind project off the coast of New England, which was 80% complete, was one of the projects affected by the funding withdrawal. As a result, hundreds of workers were sent home, and the project's completion has been put on hold. Rhode Island AFL-CIO President Patrick Crowley expressed his dismay, stating that many union workers who voted for Trump had their jobs shut down due to this decision.
Democratic Senator Edward Markey of Massachusetts voiced similar concerns, stating that the halting of funding for offshore wind projects would sign a death warrant for thousands of union jobs nationwide. The offshore wind industry has brought new jobs to seaports by reviving underused and idled facilities, some of which had lain fallow for decades.
The funding cut amounted to $679 million and affected 12 offshore wind projects. The specific states from which projects were withdrawn are not explicitly named in the available sources, but the trend has been shifting towards Republican candidates, including Trump, among unionized workers and construction job holders.
Transportation Secretary Duffy justified the decision by stating that the halted offshore wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America's maritime industry. He considered offshore wind farms "fantasy projects" that are costly and offer little benefit.
However, Liz Burdock, president of the offshore wind trade organization Oceantic Network, argued that the impact of the August 29 order will spread far beyond the offshore wind industry. Offshore wind port development upgrades facilities and capabilities that serve multiple industries, she explained.
It's worth noting that Trump's antipathy towards wind turbines is a well-known fact. In contrast, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, the only Republican governor on Duffy's hit list, has yet to issue a public response to the loss of more than $60 million in federal funding for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Youngkin is also the rare, if not the only, Republican governor in the US to champion an offshore wind project, and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is well underway, safe from the knives of the Trump administration - for now, at least.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul is working to get the Empire Wind offshore project back in motion, which she had negotiated a restart of earlier this year. The U.S. offshore wind industry will undoubtedly face challenges in the coming months as the industry navigates this unexpected turn of events.
