Christine Ho, christine.ho@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. - Heatmap News recently acquired a letter that conservative groups, including the Heartland Institute, Caesar Rodney Institute, and Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, sent to U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, requesting Secretary Burgum walk back offshore wind development in the United States.
In the letter, conservative lobbyists urge the Trump Administration to “immediately revoke” authorizations given to eleven offshore wind projects across the country, and to pause construction at four of the projects where construction has begun. These authorizations were issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration following a thorough and scientific review process in which scientists evaluated the environmental and operational aspects of the offshore wind projects’ proposals.
In January, Trump issued an executive order, halting developments on all offshore wind projects in the country and putting in limbo the 77,000 stable, high-paying jobs created under the Biden Administration.
In response, Sierra Club Deputy Legislative Director for Clean Energy and Electrification Xavier Boatright issued the following statement:
“At a time when Americans are most concerned about making rent, putting food on the table, and providing a stable future for their families, it is completely out-of-touch that these conservative groups would try to kill jobs in our communities.
“If Secretary Burgum cedes to their request, thousands of workers at the four offshore wind projects will be out of work by next week. Additionally, the tens of thousands of people who could have been employed by the remaining seven offshore wind projects will no longer have that opportunity.
“We urge the Secretary to think long and hard about ripping tens of thousands of jobs away from the people he swore to serve, and we will continue to fight to defend offshore wind as a critical renewable energy sector that will lead us to a cleaner future.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.