Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and governors of four nearby states issued a statement on Labor Day urging President Donald Trump to uphold all offshore wind permits.
“On Labor Day, we honor the strength, skill and determination of America’s workers. From construction sites and factories to ports and power plants, working people are the backbone of our economy and the foundation of our shared prosperity,” Lamont, along with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, said in the statement.
“Nowhere is that clearer than in the offshore wind industry, where labor is on the front lines,” the statement continued. “Today, more than 5,000 workers — many of them proud union members — are directly engaged with building this new American industry, with many thousands more manufacturing products across 40 states that will help lead to a new era of U.S. energy independence.”
The governors are looking for the Trump Administration to uphold all of the offshore wind permits that were already granted and to allow the projects to be constructed.
“Efforts to walk back these commitments jeopardize hardworking families, wasting years of progress and ceding leadership to foreign competitors. Workers, businesses, and communities need certainty, not reversals that would cost tens of thousands of American jobs and critical investment,” the governors said. “Sudden reversals would also impact countless other workers and taxpayers on scores of non-energy public projects.
“The U.S. markets operate on certainty. Canceling projects that have already been fully permitted — including some near completion — sends the worrisome message to investors that the work can be stopped on a whim, which could lead them to decide to either not finance different projects or impose higher interest rates that would ultimately place a bigger burden on taxpayers,” the governors added.
Trump admin cancels $679 million for offshore wind projects as attacks on reeling industry continue
The governors stated that they remain committed to ensuring that the electric grid is “reliable, resilient and affordable.”
“Offshore wind and other renewables are central to that effort, but it must be complemented by a diverse mix of resources — including nuclear power, natural gas, hydropower, and other technologies — that together keep our system strong and our energy sources secure. Doing so will also help us attract major economic development projects that will offer economic security for American workers and transform communities as we move to a 21st century economy.”
The statement comes in the wake of the U.S. Department of Transportation canceling $679 million in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects.
“Wasteful, wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a statement. “Thanks to President Trump, we are prioritizing real infrastructure improvements over fantasy wind projects that cost much and offer little.”
Trump has vowed to restore U.S. “energy dominance” in the global market and has pushed to increase U.S. reliance on fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas that emit planet-warming greenhouse gases, according to the Associated Press.
Connecticut lawmakers including Lamont and U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal sounded the alarm this week about Trump’s decision to halt construction on a New England offshore wind project that is nearly complete.
CT lawmakers make case for continuing work on halted wind project, calling Trump decision ‘dumb’
The lawmakers and other stakeholders, joined by several union workers, were critical of the decision to halt the Revolution Wind project, which will cost the state “millions of dollars per week” as well as jobs and will cause higher energy prices, they said at a news conference in New London on Monday.
“Let’s get us back to work,” Lamont said at the press conference. “Let us get back to work. Look at these guys. Look at what they’ve been able to accomplish right here. Let’s get these turbines spinning. They’re all scheduled to go next year. That’s going to bring down the price of electricity for each and every one of you.”
The $4 billion wind farm off the coast of Connecticut and Rhode Island is 80% built. It’s a 65-turbine project and had already obtained permits through the Biden administration. The project was scheduled to be completed next spring and was expected to provide 2.5% of the electricity in Connecticut. The Trump administration said the project was halted for national security concerns.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
