Whales, Fishermen Heave Sighs of Relief as Burgum Cancels Offshore Wind

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, whose department oversees the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the federal offshore leasing program, dealt the offshore wind industry a major blow this week by rescinding all designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The move is just the latest in a string of steps taken by the White House and the Department of Interior (DOI) to carry out President Donald Trump’s oft-repeated campaign promise to bring an end to the offshore wind industry in the United States.

Since the advent of the Biden administration’s aggressive push to fast-track permitting approvals for massive industrial sites in the midst of known whale migration routes and prolific commercial fishing grounds, the offshore wind industry has been plagued by scandals and mishaps.