Democratic Governors ask Trump Administration to lift the freeze on offshore Wind Projects

Four Democratic Governors wrote to U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrote to the Trump Administration on Wednesday, requesting that it lift the halt placed on 'five offshore wind project on the U.S. East Coast.

On Monday, the Department of the Interior attributed the suspension of leases on the projects to concerns about national security.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont as well as Massachusetts Governor Maura healey, and Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, however, rejected these claims. They said that the projects already 'underwent extensive federal review including an assessment which addressed national security concerns.

The states claimed that neither the Interior Department or any other agency including the Pentagon informed them of a new risk prior to the suspensions.

The governors stated that "the sudden emergence of?a new ‘national security threat’ appears to be less of a rational, legitimate finding of fact than a pretextual explanation to justify an outcome predetermined consistent with the president's often expressed personal opposition to offshore winds."

The Interior Department didn't immediately respond to a comment request.

The suspension is the latest blow to offshore wind developers who have been repeatedly?disrupted from their multi-billion dollar projects by U.S. president Donald Trump. Trump has stated that he finds windmills ugly, expensive and inefficient.

U.S. The Departments of Interior, Commerce, and the Environmental Protection Agency are implementing a directive that suspends all new approvals for onshore and offshore wind projects until a review is completed of leasing and permit practices.

A federal judge rejected earlier this month the Trump administration’s decision to halt all federal approvals of new wind energy projects. (Reporting and editing by Alistair Bell in Washington, Jasper Ward)

(source: Reuters)