Trump's 19-Year War on Wind Power: "Weaponizing Bureaucracy to Undermine American Energy Production"

The long-standing feud between wind power advocates and former President Donald Trump has reached new heights. The 19-year war, marked by repeated attacks on the industry, has been intensified during his second term as U.S. president.

It all began in 2006 when Trump expressed his disdain for windmills, stating that he didn't want to see them near his golf course in Scotland. The Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm project was already planned at that time, but Trump launched a media and legal assault against it, which proved unsuccessful. Fast forward to 2018, the Scottish wind farm opened its doors, leaving Trump's efforts to block it as just another chapter in his ongoing battle.

However, under his second term, Trump has ramped up his attacks on wind power, weaponizing bureaucracy to undermine American energy production. The latest moves include a rapid phasedown of tax credits for wind and solar projects, all but banning new wind and solar projects on federal lands and waters, and making it harder for renewables to qualify for the short-lived credits eliminated after 2027.

Wind or solar projects must now go through three levels of federal review, including personally by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who sees gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects as holding America back from achieving U.S. energy dominance.

The Cost of Trump's War on Wind Power

According to Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, Trump's actions are a "triumph of polarization over pragmatism." The administration has eliminated subsidies for wind and solar projects but then gone on the attack with federal mandates and red tape to actively oppose new projects.

The last-minute compromise in the "Big Beautiful Bill" focused on keeping renewable energy tax credits in place for now, but with a caveat: projects must break ground by July 4, 2026, or be completed by the end of 2027. This means that few new wind and solar farms are likely to start after July 2026, as they won't have enough time to finish by year-end 2027.

The Real Impact on American Energy Production

According to Grumet, this is a "double-cross" for the clean power sector. The revised rules require all but small solar farms to demonstrate physical work of a significant nature before locking in tax credits. This adds an unnecessary layer of complexity and bureaucracy.

The Human Cost

Some Republican senators, including John Curtis of Utah and Chuck Grassley of Iowa, have threatened holds on confirming some Trump nominees until the rules are released. The industry is also facing new foreign-sourcing rules that penalize projects for using Chinese parts in a renewables sector dominated by Chinese supply chains.

The Environmental Impact

Christina Hayes, executive director of Americans for a Clean Energy Grid, says that these changes add more "uncertainty" to the energy landscape, especially when the nation rapidly needs more power infrastructure. Power lines are agnostic to electricity generated by wind or coal burning, and there's no sorting hack for electrons.

"It's not like, 'Oh, you're a Gryffindor electron, you're a renewable electron, you're Hufflepuff, you're coal.' That's not how this works," Hayes said, referencing the Harry Potter series. "The government is challenging enough when everyone is working towards solutions; it's impossible when the government is working to create problems."

Why Now?

The American public sees wind power for what it is – a clean and efficient source of energy. However, Trump's focus on aesthetics rather than facts has turned the debate into a "us versus them" narrative.

"The issue the president really focuses on is the aesthetics," Grumet said. "That's a matter of personal opinion if the president thinks that staring at a natural gas facility is a source of American beauty, and staring at a wind turbine is an assault on the landscape."

The Future of Renewable Energy

"We are inexorably moving toward a more efficient, lower-carbon energy system," Grumet said. "The president's actions certainly could slow that down for a couple of years, but the direction is not going to change."