Trump’s offshore wind cancellations mirror Biden’s Keystone XL mistake

The late, great philosopher and New York Yankees baseball catcher Yogi Berra once declared, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” While Berra was referring to something related to America’s favorite pastime, the same could be said about recent Trump administration decisions to cancel offshore wind projects along the East Coast, especially when compared to the Biden administration’s cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline.

At first glance, these decisions may seem like the exact opposite: one focused on renewable energy, the other on fossil fuels. But in reality, they are both political decisions that damage confidence in the energy sector, endanger jobs and ultimately affect our country’s domestic energy security. Predictability is key when it comes to companies and workers in the energy sector, whether you’re laying gas pipelines, exploring for oil or building wind farms.

And I’m not the only one expressing these concerns. In recent weeks, Colette Hirstius, president of Shell USA, has publicly questioned the Trump administration’s decision to halt fully permitted wind energy projects. She said this is “very damaging” to investments and called for more consistency in regulations.

She reminded observers that “energy projects must be allowed to proceed with the appropriate permits,” regardless of political decision-making. Companies like Shell don’t just defend wind farms. Hirstius went further, warning that the same playbook could be used against oil and gas projects.

THIS IS HOW AMERICA WILL ACHIEVE ENERGY DOMINANCE

In 2020, I served as a surrogate for the Biden campaign because I believed in his pragmatic record on legislation and policy. I didn’t agree with President Joe Biden on all counts, especially his decision to cancel Keystone XL because it was more symbolic than substantive. No single energy project would have solved all of our energy problems, but Keystone XL represented a critical investment in domestic energy security, backed by years of environmental assessments, community engagement, permitting and industrial planning. Canceling Keystone XL went wrong.

Like Keystone XL, offshore wind projects, including Revolution Wind, under construction off Rhode Island, and a series of projects nearing completion had undergone years of review and approval. Several companies had spent billions on planning, workforce training and supply chain development. Thousands of American workers, including welders, steelworkers, engineers and electricians, relied on these projects for steady jobs.

Canceling an energy project after construction has begun not only delays the supply of much-needed new energy sources, but also undermines the very foundation of the way we do business in this country. If an approved project can be canceled due to a change in management, why would a company risk the capital to invest in future energy infrastructure? The result is paralysis.

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We live in a period characterized by both rising energy demand and increasing geopolitical instability. Families face high energy costs due to both limited supply and overregulation. The solution here is to pursue domestic energy sources of all kinds.

In this environment, the common sense strategy is not to pick winners and losers, but to pursue an “all of the above” energy policy that uses all the resources at our disposal, including oil, gas, nuclear, solar, hydropower and yes, wind. America should produce more energy, not less. Both the Keystone XL and offshore wind cancellations undermine that vision. Instead of working to maximize capacity and diversify offerings, they have shrunk the pie.

For decades, America’s energy debates have been cast in zero-sum terms: oil and gas versus renewables, coal jobs versus clean technology, pipelines versus wind turbines, with activists and industries battling it out in the courts and the court of public opinion. In reality, these false choices have done little to actually serve our energy, environmental, or economic interests as Americans. We need them all – especially domestic, American-made energy sources.

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An “all of the above” energy strategy is not just good economics; it’s also good politics. Voters are tired of the pendulum swings, and tired of being told to choose one camp over the other. They don’t want energy shortages and power outages. They want energy independence — something President Donald Trump aggressively campaigned for. They want America to lead, not lag behind. And they want jobs – whether they are jobs in the oil sector, building state-of-the-art reactors or at the shipyard assembling wind turbines.

Canceling Keystone XL was a mistake, and canceling permitted, funded and under-construction wind projects is a mistake. If we are serious about achieving energy dominance, these are mistakes that Americans simply cannot afford.

CLICK HERE TO FROM KEVIN WALLING