The Trump administration is so intent on halting offshore wind that the White House seems willing to jeopardize what could be one of President Donald Trump’s signature achievements for the economy.
That’s the unmistakable takeaway from the Justice Department’s last-ditch attempt to undermine the Revolution Wind development off the coast of Rhode Island. The agency filed a motion last Friday to reconsider the permit granted for the project by the Interior Department. The 704-megawatt wind farm is more than 95 percent complete and is expected to supply enough electricity for 350,000 homes and businesses. It has been delivering power to New England since March and is on track to be fully operational by the end of the year. The administration already tried, and failed, to kill this project in court.
The Justice Department’s move has the potential to derail the permitting reform deal that has been reached in the Senate. That bipartisan compromise contains a long list of worthy reforms to help build out America’s electric grid. It includes, for instance, limiting the ability of activists to drown energy projects in lawsuits and easing bureaucratic hurdles blocking urgently needed transmission lines. Crucially, the bill would benefit all forms of energy and make it harder for future administrations to arbitrarily revoke permits that have already been granted.
The deal was already shaky due to opposition from far-left environmental groups. Some House Democrats are also balking, in the hope that they can negotiate better terms if their party gains power next year. But that gamble overlooks the fact that Trump would still occupy the White House, and any permitting overhaul would still require 60 votes in the Senate.
The administration’s shenanigans will make it more difficult to win the swing Democratic votes necessary to secure Senate passage, since the original deal relied heavily on the administration’s promises that it would abandon its policies that have stymied dozens of onshore wind projects.
Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island) and Martin Heinrich (New Mexico), the two leading Democratic negotiators, rebuked the administration’s move in a joint statement. “Frankly, we need to get permitting certainty in law, and this proves it,” they said. “In the meantime, the administration needs to start showing good faith progress on wind permits.”
Jarrod Agen, one of the Trump administration’s top energy officials, attempted to play cleanup, arguing that the Justice Department move stems from a lawsuit initiated during the Biden administration. “The White House maintains support for PERMITTING REFORM!” he wrote on social media. “We look forward to the Senate voting on this historic legislation.”
Both statements are encouraging signs that neither side has given up on getting the deal across the finish line. Still, the administration’s sniping at the wind industry highlights the treacherous path ahead for the bipartisan package.
Neither party seems fully committed to a truly “all of the above” approach to energy. Too many Republicans want to help the oil industry and kneecap renewables. Too many Democrats are hostile to fossil fuels. Without this law, a future Democratic administration could use tactics against oil pipelines and natural gas export terminals similar to those Trump is using against wind.
The only way to meet ballooning energy demand is to make it easier for every industry to build. Let technologies compete on how efficiently and affordably they deliver energy, not on whether their boosters hold political power. Investors price political risk into their decisions. When permits become contingent on presidential preferences, financing gets more expensive and consumers end up paying higher prices. The Senate deal would help create the certainty necessary to ensure long-term investment. It would be a shame for the economy if the legislation falls apart because of partisan squabbling.
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