“Stop offshore wind!” – Watts Up With That?

by CFACT

For Immediate Release:

February 12, Washington D.C. – The Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow, along with 10 other “Stop Offshore Wind” organizations and over 50 individuals from beach communities, joined forces to send a letter today to Secretary of Interior Douglas Burgum urging him to cease immediately all construction projects that are still slated to proceed ahead, despite President Trump’s executive order halting offshore wind.

“The Trump EO pretty much grounded some 22 projects to a standstill,” noted CFACT President Craig Rucker, “but there are around nine or so sites that are still putting the pedal to the metal trying to get their construction work done before they’re looked at with scrutiny. We need to make sure, for the sake of our environment, that doesn’t happen.”

President Trump released a moratorium on offshore wind upon taking office on January 20, that “temporarily prevents consideration of any area in the OCS for any new or renewed wind energy leasing for the purposes of generation of electricity or any other such use, derived from the use of wind.” It also calls on the Department of Interior to “conduct a comprehensive review of the ecological, economic, and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases.”

“While this is a great development, and I’m sure the President believed it would stymie ongoing construction, some companies such as Dominion Energy in Virginia are not giving it any respect and keep plowing ahead as though it was never issued. That’s why we need DOI to go further and yank the existing takings permits, called Letters of Authorization (LOAs), to keep them from continuing to ‘clang and bang’ in our oceans,” notes Rucker.

The joint letter, which is attached, was signed by a number of citizens, environmental and national organizations involved in opposition to offshore wind, including the Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), Defend our Beaches NJ, Heartland Institute, Caesar Rodney Institute, Green Oceans, REACT Alliance, and others.

Read the full letter to Secretary Burgum here

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