It is notable that this maintain comes regardless of Trump’s govt order explicitly stating, “Nothing on this withdrawal [of future leasing] impacts rights below present leases within the withdrawn areas.”
GAO undercuts the message
The order alleged there have been “varied alleged authorized deficiencies underlying the Federal Authorities’s leasing and allowing of onshore and offshore wind tasks, the results of which can result in grave hurt.” In response to these allegations, the Authorities Accountability Workplace started an analysis of the Division of the Inside’s actions in overseeing offshore wind growth. The outcomes of that had been made public on Monday.
And the report solely discovered minor points. Its major suggestions are that Inside enhance its consultations with leaders of tribal communities which may be impacted by wind growth and enhance “incorporation of Indigenous information.” The GAO additionally thinks that Inside ought to enhance its strategies of getting enter from the fishing trade. The report additionally acknowledges that there are uncertainties about every thing from invasive species to the generators’ impact on navigational radar however says these will fluctuate primarily based on a wind farm’s web site, dimension, and different options, and we’ll solely have a clearer image as soon as we’ve constructed extra of them.
Notably, it says that wind farm growth has had no impact on the native whale inhabitants, a preferred Republican criticism of offshore wind.
Trump’s animosity towards wind energy has a protracted historical past, so it is unlikely that this largely optimistic report will do a lot to get the maintain on leasing lifted. In actuality, nonetheless, the long-term uncertainty about offshore wind within the US will in all probability block new developments till the tip of Trump’s time in workplace. Offshore wind firms have budgeted primarily based on tax incentives within the Inflation Discount Act, and the administration has steered they could revoke these in future budgets. And the transfer by Burgum implies that, even when an organization clears all of the leasing and enchancment hurdles, the federal government could shut down a challenge for seemingly arbitrary causes.
