Saving Seafood

Trump admin to reconsider permits for Atlantic Shores wind project

August 13, 2026 — In the latest blow to the offshore wind industry, a federal court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to reconsider permits for the Atlantic Shores project off the coast of New Jersey.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled Monday that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management could review the construction permits it issued to the project. The permits were issued under the Biden administration.

“Remand is appropriate here in the interest of judicial economy and in light of the lack of prejudice to Atlantic Shores,” the order read.

Read the full article at E&E News

US Senate bill would incentivize offshore wind development, despite Trump buyouts

August 12, 2026 — A pair of U.S. senators have introduced legislation to enable more investment in offshore wind development, despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to buyout existing lease holders.

Trump has made opposition to offshore wind power a key policy of his second term, issuing an executive order pausing offshore wind projects his first day back in office. That order was ultimately struck down by a federal judge, and a subsequent order by the U.S. Department of the Interior pausing development over vague national security concerns has not fared much better in court.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Another offshore wind project bought out by Trump administration

August 10, 2026 — Another offshore wind power developer has announced a settlement with the U.S. Department of the Interior which will see it relinquish its offshore wind leases and instead invest in other energy projects.

RWE U.S. Offshore said the deal will see it end its lawsuits against the U.S. government over its leases off the coasts of New York, California, and Louisiana. Despite investing roughly USD 1 billion (EUR 866 million) in energy projects on those leases, the company said it was no longer possible to secure permits for them.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

VIRGINIA: Dominion says Virginia offshore wind project 81% complete

August 4, 2026 — Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is 81% complete and anticipated for completion at the end of 2027 – six months beyond the company’s earlier time frame and at least $228 million over cost estimate, thanks to tariffs and network upgrade costs assigned by PJM Interconnection grid operations.

In a second-quarter earnings call July 31, Dominion president Bob Blue said tariffs on steel and aluminum added to the $11.6 billion, 2.6 gigawatt array.

Blue cited weather, moving equipment onsite and longer installation times for the planned 176 Siemens Gamesa 14 MW turbines among factors in the revised schedule.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

Here’s where Trump has canceled wind farms – and how states are pushing back

July 31, 2026 — President Donald Trump’s opposition to offshore wind farms is well-documented. In the early 2010s, he sued the Scottish government when it gave permission for a company to build turbines in sight of one of his resorts. In public testimony over the years, the president has called wind turbines “monstrosities.” He has fretted about their environmental impact, decried their noise, and lamented their impact on tourism.

He lost his case in Scotland. Now, as U.S. president, he has more leverage.

Over the past year, the Trump administration has gone to great lengths to undo his predecessor’s efforts to establish a wind power industry off the coast of the United States. Since March, he’s struck five agreements with private companies to cancel at least nine offshore wind leases – a strategy that rings of Mr. Trump’s tendency toward dealmaking and that environmental policy analysts say no president has employed before.

Read the full article at The Christian Science Monitor 

States prepare to sue Trump administration over offshore wind energy deals

July 21, 2026 — Multiple states are preparing to sue the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over a series of deals the government has signed to end offshore wind energy developments, and a group of senators has launched an investigation.

Trump has made opposition to offshore wind energy a key policy in his second term, making multiple attempts to halt any development off the U.S. coast. On day one in office, Trump signed an executive order pausing federal approval for offshore wind projects located on the Outer Continental Shelf. That order was eventually struck down as “unlawful” by a federal judge in December 2025.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NJ Sues Dept. Of Defense For Halting Wind Farm Safety Reviews

July 20, 2026 — On Thursday, New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport joined 18 other states in suing the U.S. Department of Defense and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, for what Davenport says was Hegseth’s illegal decision to suddenly stop doing safety reviews of wind farms under construction across the country.

No wind farm has been built off New Jersey or New York yet. The only wind farm off New Jersey that’s the closest to starting operations is Empire Wind, which is currently under construction 19 miles off Long Branch.

Empire Wind is about 60 percent complete; they started installing monopiles (the towers that hold the wind blades) into the ocean floor last summer; see these photos of the wind farm site under construction last August.

Read the full article at The Patch

Trump cites national security to stop offshore wind development. Here’s what to know

July 17, 2026 — President Donald Trump’s administration has worked to stop offshore wind development on the grounds that it’s a national security risk since late last year.

It halted work on major projects, and it’s buying back leases, citing national security concerns. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum says a classified report from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth proves offshore wind is a national security threat.

This comes against the backdrop of the Republican president’s hatred of wind turbines and desire to boost fossil fuels for “energy dominance” in the global market. National lab estimates show that turbines installed along the U.S. coasts could provide more than enough power to cover the nation’s annual electricity consumption.

Wind turbines interfere with radar, but that isn’t a new problem. The Pentagon reviews wind farm construction plans and can deem areas off limits. There are upgrades to radar to mitigate turbine impacts.

Read the full article at the Associated Press

Trump budget attacks renewables, boosts ‘energy dominance’

April 3, 2026 — The White House released its fiscal 2027 budget request Friday morning, unveiling plans to continue waging its longstanding war against renewable energy and climate initiatives while boosting support for artificial intelligence and fossil fuels.

The spending blueprint also includes a proposed reorganization for core Interior Department energy offices — the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.

President Donald Trump’s budget would take a sledgehammer to Biden-era energy and environment programs that the administration has not already decimated, proposing tens of billions of dollars in cuts to everything from electric vehicle chargers to efforts to prosecute certain environmental crimes.

Read the full article at E&E News

Trump’s Budget May Target Climate Programs. Here’s What Still Survives.

April 2, 2026 — President Trump has tried to cut funding for virtually every federal program that addresses climate change. But Congress has been pushing back, sometimes with surprising bipartisan support.

This year, lawmakers quietly saved funding for the government’s popular Energy Star program, which ranks appliances based on energy conservation and cost savings. Bipartisan majorities also salvaged weather forecasting, fisheries and climate research at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and even some international environmental aid.

Mr. Trump’s new proposed budget is expected to be made public on Friday, and climate advocates said they were bracing for steep new cuts to environmental programs. The White House declined to comment on the budget but noted that Mr. Trump had already eliminated his top targets, like federal support for wind, solar and other renewable energy.

Advocates for climate action said their modest success last time had given them some hope of again retaining popular programs in next year’s budget.

Read the full article at The New York Times