In addition to economic stress, offshore wind projects face federal and state regulations because they must obtain approval from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said Joshua Basseches, assistant professor of environmental studies and public policy at Tulane University in Louisiana. Onshore projects only deal with state regulations, making offshore project development slower than onshore ones, he said.
Misinformation about the impact offshore wind turbines have on the environment could also make people less likely to support new projects. Trump said whales are harmed by offshore wind turbines, even though no evidence supports this statement.
“A new federal administration that takes this misinformation and gives it an official position or platform would be very dangerous for the future of offshore wind,” Basseches said.
But Basseches said a new administration won’t kill the momentum. As wind power becomes less expensive, “coal will continue to be retired and will make up a smaller and smaller portion of our total electricity production, and I think that will be the case regardless of what happens politically.”
Kates-Garnick said states view offshore wind as an opportunity for economic development, so no matter what happens in November, she predicts they will continue to support offshore wind in the long term.
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