The Department of Transportation on Friday canceled $679 million in federal funding for a dozen infrastructure projects that would support offshore wind power in the U.S., the latest attack in President Donald Trump’s campaign to halt the development of renewable energy in the U.S.
“Wasteful, wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement. The funding will be repurposed to upgrade ports and other infrastructure in the U.S. where possible, according to the department.
Many of the projects impacted by the funding cancellation are staging areas that would be used to build offshore wind turbines. The single biggest ticket item impacted is Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind in northern California, with about $427 million in federal support withdrawn.
Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind is a planned marine terminal that would be used to launch and assemble offshore wind turbines in northern California, in support of the state’s goal to build 25 gigawatts by 2045.
The wind industry has been in Trump’s crosshairs since his first day in office, when he halted new leases for offshore wind projects. But his administration has escalated its attacks in recent days.
