Time for Burgum to Respect Trump’s Offshore Wind Mandate

Former President Donald Trump has made no secret of his disdain for wind energy, especially when it comes to offshore installations.

Throughout his political career, Trump has repeatedly criticized offshore wind, citing a range of concerns: environmental degradation, excessive costs, unreliability, interference with both military activities and commercial shipping, and increased reliance on foreign nations—particularly China—for critical energy resources. According to Trump, these are serious flaws, and he has consistently called offshore wind “garbage” and “horrendous.”

After securing the presidency, Trump pledged to halt the expansion of wind energy, declaring that there would be “no new windmills” during his second term. In line with this vow, one of his early executive orders sought to suspend all new offshore wind projects.

Trump has continued to speak out against offshore wind, labeling it “an economic and environmental disaster.” He has also raised concerns about its visual impact on the ocean and potential links to rising whale deaths, pointing to a significant uptick in stranded whales along U.S. coastlines in recent years.

Despite a direct executive order instructing the Department of the Interior to freeze both offshore and onshore wind development, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has yet to enforce this directive. This inaction is particularly glaring given Trump’s clear position.

As a result, four out of nine offshore wind projects previously greenlit by the Biden administration have stated they plan to restart turbine construction on May 1, 2025. If these projects move forward, it could be seen as undermining Trump’s authority—suggesting that his directives carry little weight within his own administration.

In contrast, other members of Trump’s cabinet, including EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, have moved swiftly to implement the president’s policies. They’ve resumed approvals for LNG export terminals, blocked restrictive appliance regulations, and rolled back numerous climate-related mandates involving fossil fuels and emissions.

Burgum, for his part, has complied with some of Trump’s directives, particularly those already supported by pre-existing laws that the previous administration overlooked. He’s reauthorized oil and gas leasing on federal lands, revived Arctic drilling opportunities, and reexamined applications of the Endangered Species Act. However, he’s remained notably silent on halting offshore wind projects—an issue Trump has repeatedly emphasized.

Burgum’s hesitation could stem from his past. He once ran against Trump in the GOP primaries, bowing out when it became clear he couldn’t gain traction. Additionally, as a former North Dakota governor, Burgum was known for supporting wind energy, which may complicate his stance now.

Nevertheless, as Trump’s appointee to lead the Interior Department, enforcing the offshore wind freeze should be straightforward.

The DOI’s own Construction and Operations Plans contain provisions that allow the department to pause or review projects if new evidence—or overlooked information—emerges that could materially affect the environmental assessments or permits initially granted.

The Biden administration expedited offshore wind approvals as part of its broader climate initiative. In doing so, it neglected to fully evaluate the cumulative impact these projects might have on vulnerable marine species, especially the North Atlantic right whale (NARW).

In fact, a leading government biologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has officially stated that these wind farms pose a direct threat to the NARW’s survival—an expert opinion the Biden-era DOI largely ignored.

Given this, Burgum has not only the legal grounds but the obligation to pause ongoing offshore wind construction. To do otherwise would contradict Trump’s explicit directive.

Trump became famous for his no-nonsense approach on The Apprentice, where his trademark phrase, “You’re Fired,” became a cultural staple. During his first term, Trump removed several officials who disobeyed orders, failed to perform, or caused embarrassment.

If Burgum does not act soon to halt offshore wind development, using the authority at his disposal before May 1, he may well be the next official to hear those two iconic words: “You’re Fired.”