Trump Withdraws All Federal Waters From Future Offshore Wind Leasing

In an executive order signed on the first day of his new term, President Donald Trump used the Offshore Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) to withdraw all federal waters from future offshore wind leasing. The ban does not apply to existing leases, but it prohibits any further auctions, ending the Biden administration’s plans for new lease sales off southern Oregon and the U.S. Gulf Coast. 

In the order, Trump said that his decision stemmed from a desire to keep energy costs for consumers low and maintain a robust fishing industry – factors that have driven criticism of the offshore wind industry on the East and West Coast.

In response, offshore wind proponents warned that a shutdown of wind …