In a statement to Politico E&E News days after the round-up was canceled in May, the White House claimed that Hochul “conquered” and brokered a deal to allow “two natural gas pipelines to move forward” through New York.
Hochul denied that any such transaction would take place.
Trump has made no effort to hide his disdain for wind power and other renewable energies, and his administration has actively sought to spur growth in the sector while providing what critics have described as “gifts” to fossil fuels.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Trump called wind and solar power the “scam of the century,” criticizing the claims that have been made and relied on for power.
“We will not approve wind or farmers destroying solar energy,” Trump wrote. “The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!!”
On Trump’s first day in office, the president issued a memorandum halting approvals, permits, leases, and loans for both offshore and onshore wind projects.
The GOP also targeted wind energy in one big, beautiful bill, accelerating the phaseout of tax credits for wind and solar projects while capping lease sales for fossil fuels and making millions of acres of federal land available to the mining industry.
The administration’s consideration of further rules to further restrict access to tax credits for wind and solar projects alarmed even some Republicans, prompting Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and Utah Sen. John Kurtz to put Treasury nominees on hold as they awaited formal guidance from the department.
These moves have rattled the wind industry and created uncertainty about the viability of ongoing and future projects.
“The unfortunate message to investors is clear: The United States is no longer a reliable place for long-term energy investments,” the American Clean Energy Association, a trade association, said in a statement Friday.
Kathleen Meil, director of local clean energy deployment at the League of Conservation Voters, which is damaging not only the environment but also the U.S. economy.
“It’s really easy to think about what you’re seeing – 4,200 jobs in all stages of development that you’re seeing … they’ve hit over 2 million union hours in the wind of revolution,” Mayles said.
“But what’s also really transformative is that it’s already triggered $1.3 billion in investment through the supply chain. So it’s not just coastal communities that are getting this work,” she said.
“It hurts so many people. And why? There’s just no excuse.”
This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News , a non-profit, non-partisan news organization covering climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here .
