Against the wind: despite Trump’s attacks, unions are fighting for good US clean energy jobs | US unions
US politics | The Guardian — 2026-08-23 05:00:00 — www.theguardian.com
Donald Trump Targets Offshore Wind, Spreads False Claims About Clean Energy
Since returning to office in 2024, President Donald Trump has aggressively moved to roll back much of the previous administration’s climate agenda, with a particular focus on offshore wind energy. Trump has singled out offshore wind, claiming it causes cancer, kills birds and other wildlife, and destroys property values. These assertions have been widely debunked by scientific research and fact-checkers, but the president has continued to repeat them as part of his broader campaign against clean energy initiatives.
Trump’s administration has also taken concrete steps to undermine the growth of the offshore wind sector. In 2025, the administration accelerated the phaseout of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean-electricity tax credits for wind and solar projects—federal incentives that had helped drive clean-energy investment and union job creation. Trump ordered work to halt on several major offshore wind projects, including Empire Wind, Revolution Wind, Sunrise Wind, Vineyard Wind, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind. These actions temporarily disrupted construction, sent workers home, and imposed additional costs on developers, although courts ultimately blocked each of the stop-work orders and allowed the projects to continue.
Despite the legal setbacks, Trump’s moves have had a “complete chilling effect” on future offshore wind development, according to union leaders. In 2025 alone, the administration spent $2.7 billion in taxpayer dollars to cancel 12 offshore wind leases in five deals with developers. Market analysts have sharply reduced their projections for U.S. offshore wind capacity by 2035, slashing estimates from 39 gigawatts to just 6 gigawatts. This dramatic drop has devastated unions that spent years preparing workers for new jobs in the sector, with some estimates pointing to a loss of 3 billion work hours.
Trump’s repeated false claims about offshore wind—such as its supposed links to cancer and property value destruction—have been widely discredited. Scientific studies have found no evidence that offshore wind turbines cause cancer, and while wind projects can have localized impacts on birds, experts agree that the overall environmental benefits far outweigh these risks, especially compared to fossil fuel alternatives.
The president’s actions and rhetoric have revived the outdated notion that Americans must choose between good jobs and climate action, despite evidence that clean energy projects, especially those with strong labor standards, can deliver both. While Trump’s efforts have temporarily slowed the clean energy transition, labor and environmental leaders remain committed to fighting for unionized, high-quality jobs in the sector and are confident that offshore wind will eventually regain momentum.
In summary, President Trump’s campaign against offshore wind has relied on false and misleading claims, while his administration’s policy moves have disrupted job creation and clean energy progress. The long-term impact on America’s offshore wind industry remains uncertain, but unions and climate advocates are determined to keep pushing for a future where good jobs and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/23/wind-energy-unions-trump