There’s nothing ‘constructive’ about Trump’s treasonous war – which wind CEO will stand up to him?

The United States wind industry is under siege from the sustained sabotage of President Donald Trump.

His actions have created a hostile environment for wind developers, investors, and workers. The consequences are stalled projects, lost jobs, and rising electricity prices. The long-term damage could be dangerous to the US and catastrophic to the wind industry.

Trump’s war on wind may be fuelled by just pettiness, or him being in the pocket of the oil lobby. Either way, Trump never does anything that doesn’t enrich himself or those close to him. If he can get his hands on a deal that makes or his friends him money, he will do it, no matter the consequences for others.

Don't be naive: The crusade will not stop

That’s why Trump’s campaign against wind will not stop at any point.

On his first day, he issued a memorandum freezing all new offshore wind leasing and permitting. This was followed by a series of executive orders that stripped subsidies, imposed permitting bottlenecks, and prioritized fossil fuels over renewables. His latest bill accelerated the phase-out of production and investment tax credits, which have been the backbone of wind development for decades.

Trump’s executive order on “Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources” paints wind and solar as threats to American sovereignty. The Department of the Interior now requires the Secretary to personally approve 69 separate actions for wind and solar projects on federal lands.

A report by the Center for American Progress claims that Trump’s policies have already cost thousands of jobs and threaten tens of thousands more. Offshore wind, which relies heavily on federal waters, has been hit hardest. Only five offshore projects, totaling less than 6GW, are expected to be completed during Trump’s term.

Onshore wind is not immune either. While most projects are on private land, they still depend on federal permits for airspace and wetlands. The new rules complicate compliance with tax credit eligibility, especially due to compressed timelines. Legal experts warn that retroactive changes are possible, which would undermine investor confidence and trigger capital flight.

Top CEO’s response: ‘Constructive’

How does the industry react to this? Last week NextEra Energy's CEO John Ketchum told analysts that its current pipeline should see the company safe until 2029. The underlying, unspoken message is: ‘We’ll keep quiet and hope he’ll be dead or gone by then’. Ketchum even called the phase out of wind and solar credits ‘constructive’.

The NextEra Energy CEO is looking after his own company the best he can. Waving red flags in front of a petty person may not seem the right response.

But the only ones who can win a fight against Trump, are the ones that stand up to him. Equinor pushed back when Department of Energy tried to kill the Empire Wind project.

Wagging your tail at Trump is not effective. It only tells the president that you will do whatever he demands.

The attacks keep coming, as on the Green Belt Express. Killing that project is an attack on Americans. They will suffer as old grids kneel under increased demand. The result is a fragmented grid, higher costs, and increased reliance on fossil fuels. The latter is most likely Trump’s target.

Noone will speak for the industry – they have to do it themselves

Trump is indirectly dismantling the infrastructure needed. Without long-haul transmission lines, wind power from resource-rich regions inland cannot reach demand centers.

If the industry does not stand up for their own rights, noone will do it for them.

The Financial Times reports that the rollback of tax credits will shrink clean energy additions by up to 59% between 2025 and 2035. That’s how ‘constructive’ this is.

Electricity prices are expected to rise by 2–4% for households and up to 18% for industrial users. In states like North and South Carolina, wholesale prices could jump nearly 50% by 2030. At the same time, power demand is surging due to AI data centers, manufacturing, and electrification.

Wall Street is stepping in to fill the financing gap left by public markets. Private equity firms like Apollo, KKR, and Blackstone are offering loans to clean energy developers—but at a steep price. Interest rates can reach 15–16%, and the terms often give lenders significant control over operations, according to the FT.

Very few wind CEOs can justify the capital intensive investment at those rates. High financing costs will ultimately be passed on to consumers and will deter future investment.

Wind, solar and storage is the answer

Oil and gas production has declined slightly since Trump took office. New coal projects are unlikely to materialize. Only wind, solar, and storage can meet the growing electricity demand in the US. By undermining these sectors, Trump is not securing America’s energy future – he is betraying Americans.

The US grid is already under strain. PJM, which serves the Mid-Atlantic, saw record prices in its latest capacity auction. Without new capacity, blackouts and price spikes are inevitable.

Trump’s war on wind is killing jobs, raising prices, and weakening the grid. They are driven by greed and spite. There’s nothing constructive about it at all. Treasonous Trump is not making America great again. He is making it darker, dirtier, and more divided.

The industry better respond well, otherwise they'll be wiped out.