The Department of Transportation announced on Friday that it is canceling $679 million in federal funding for a dozen infrastructure projects intended to support offshore wind power development in the United States. The move marks the latest step in President Donald Trump’s ongoing campaign to slow or halt renewable energy initiatives across the country.
The largest single cut affects the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind project in northern California, which loses roughly $427 million in federal support. The project had been planned as a major marine terminal for assembling and launching wind turbines, contributing to California’s ambitious goal of building 25 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2045. Other affected projects include staging areas and port upgrades in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Virginia, which had been designed to serve as critical hubs for turbine construction, transport, and logistics.
“Wasteful, wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, explaining that the funding would be redirected to domestic port upgrades and other infrastructure initiatives where possible. The cuts, however, have sparked concern across the renewable energy sector, which warns that delaying or halting offshore wind projects could drive up electricity costs and hinder the United States’ transition to cleaner energy sources.
Trump’s administration has consistently targeted wind energy since he took office, initially halting new leases for offshore projects. In recent days, the White House has escalated its efforts, including last week’s order from the Department of the Interior to halt work on Denmark’s Orsted A/S Revolution Wind project off New England’s coast—a fully permitted project that is reportedly 80% complete. The work stoppage sent Orsted shares tumbling to a record low, highlighting investor concern over the administration’s approach to renewable energy development.
The canceled funds include:
- Sparrows Point Steel Marshalling Port, Baltimore, MD – $47,392,500
- Bridgeport Port Authority Operations and Maintenance Wind Port, CT – $10,530,000
- Wind Port at Paulsboro, NJ – $20,494,025
- Arthur Kill Terminal, Staten Island, NY – $48,008,231
- Port of Davisville gateway upgrades, RI – $11,250,000
- Norfolk Offshore Wind Logistics Port, VA – $39,265,000
- Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind, CA – $426,719,810
Additional projects that were fully terminated include:
- Redwood Marine Terminal project planning, CA – $8,672,986
- Salem Wind Port project, MA – $33,835,953
- Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience project – $11,051,586
- Radio Island rail improvements, NC – $1,679,604
- Portsmouth Marine Terminal offshore wind development, VA – $20,000,000
Industry experts warn that these measures could slow the growth of the U.S. offshore wind sector and undermine investments at a time when other countries, particularly in Europe and Asia, are aggressively expanding renewable capacity. Renewable energy executives caution that ongoing policy uncertainty may lead to higher energy prices for consumers and potentially stifle innovation in green energy infrastructure.
The administration’s actions have sparked broader debate over the balance between short-term economic and industrial priorities and the long-term goal of transitioning to sustainable energy. As the U.S. faces increasing pressure to meet climate commitments, these funding cancellations represent a significant setback for offshore wind development, particularly in states like California, New York, and Massachusetts that have set ambitious clean energy targets.
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