Offshore Wind Moves Forward Despite Political Posturing

By Capt. Paul Eidman David Wojick’s recent article* claims that offshore wind developers are ignoring President Trump’s Executive Order (EO) aimed at reviewing existing wind energy leases. However, this claim misrepresents both the legal and economic realities of offshore wind development in the United States. The truth is that these projects are proceeding not out of defiance, but because they are operating within legally binding contracts that an executive order alone cannot simply erase. Executive Orders Cannot Unilaterally Overturn Offshore Wind Leases Wojick suggests that offshore wind companies are disregarding the President’s directive, but this is a misunderstanding of how federal leases and contracts work. The EO does not automatically revoke offshore wind leases; it only initiates a review process. The legal standard for canceling these leases is high, and any attempt to do so would require substantial justification that does not exist. These projects have alr...