“We’re going to try and have a policy where no windmills are being built … they don’t work without subsidy, you don’t want energy that needs subsidy.”

[Lauren]

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP SAYS HE WANTS TO HALT THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW WIND ENERGY PROJECTS DURING HIS UPCOMING TERM IN OFFICE.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS IN MAR-A-LAGO THIS WEEK, TRUMP SAID WINDMILLS WERE LITTERING THE COUNTRY-

AND THAT THE ENERGY FROM THESE RENEWABLES IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE THERE IS.

“The only people that want them are the people that are getting rich off windmills getting massive subsidies from the US government.”

TRUMP SIGNALED HIS INTENTIONS TO TAKE AIM AT THE WIND ENERGY SECTOR BACK IN MAY-

WHEN HE PLEDGED TO END OFFSHORE WIND PRODUCTION BY EXECUTIVE ORDER ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE.

BUT THESE LATEST COMMENTS SUGGEST THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION INTENDS TO PURSUE AN END TO ALL NEW WIND DEVELOPMENTS, BOTH ON AND OFFSHORE.

ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, WIND POWER IS AMONG THE FASTEST-GROWING AND MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY.

TO DATE, OVER 153 GIGAWATTS OF WIND POWER CAPACITY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED ACROSS THE U.S.-

WITH MORE THAN TWO THIRDS OF THAT TOTAL LOCATED IN STATES WON BY TRUMP IN THE 2024 ELECTION.

THE CONFLICTING CLAIMS FROM TRUMP AND THE D-O-E REGARDING THE PRICE OF WIND ENERGY COMES FROM THE DIFFICULTY IN COMPARING TOTAL COSTS BETWEEN THIS RENEWABLE AND OTHER POWER SOURCES.

EXPERTS SAY BUILDING A WIND FARM TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY IS OFTEN LESS EXPENSIVE THAN CONSTRUCTING A GAS-FIRED POWER PLANT TO PRODUCE THE SAME AMOUNT OF POWER.

ALTHOUGH, WIND FARMS MAY REQUIRE EXPENSIVE LONG-DISTANCE TRANSMISSION LINES AND MUST BE SUPPORTED BY OTHER ENERGY SOURCES DUE TO THE INTERMITTENT NATURE OF WIND.

IN CONTRAST, GAS PLANTS CAN GENERATE ELECTRICITY ON DEMAND.

MEANWHILE, THE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY HAS FACED AN UPTICK IN CHALLENGES OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS-

INCLUDING LOCAL OPPOSITION FROM OVER 400 COUNTIES, GRID CONNECTION DELAYS, AND SLOWED INSTALLATION RATES.

AS PRESIDENT, TRUMP CAN’T PREVENT WIND FARMS FROM BEING BUILT ON PRIVATE LANDS-

THOUGH HE CAN PHASE OUT PRODUCTION TAX CREDITS, THE PRIMARY GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FOR WIND FARMS ON PRIVATE LAND.

AND WHILE TRUMP WON’T HAVE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OVER WHETHER WIND POWER CAN BE PRODUCED ON FEDERAL LANDS AND WATERS-

HE WILL HAVE SOME INFLUENCE OVER WIND DEVELOPMENTS IN FEDERALLY-OWNED LOCATIONS.

HOWEVER, IF THE GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY ISSUED LEASES, THEN LEGALLY COMPANIES MUST BE ISSUED PERMITS SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR EXISTING PROJECTS.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.