Battered from federal attacks, Louisiana's offshore wind industry refuses to give up

Offshore wind industry leaders in Louisiana are counting down the days until President Trump leaves office. The Trump administration has been hostile toward offshore wind projects, first by halting permitting on new projects, and then by paying developers to abandon their projects altogether. In Louisiana, leaders are hoping to “preserve their expertise and supply chain” long enough to restart their offshore projects under the next administration, Tristan Baurick writes for Grist.

Grist reports: 

“Come January 21st, 2029, we all get to wave goodbye,” said state Representative Joe Orgeron, a Republican from southeastern Louisiana who worked in the offshore wind industry. “The current administration has been a one-man stopping show. I’m pretty confident, and I’m hopeful that it’ll change.”

Trump has paid developers $4 billion in taxpayer money to relinquish 12 offshore wind leases, including one off the coast of Louisiana. Madelyn Smith, a program manager with the Southeastern Wind Coalition, said the removed projects had the capacity to power over 5 million homes.