WRAL by Brian Murphy and Liz McLaughlin

The fate of North Carolina's offshore wind farms, both active and planned, is in question after President Donald Trump took executive action to halt offshore wind energy production on his first day in office.

The order halts offshore wind leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf and prohibits new or renewed permits, leases, and loans for wind energy projects, both onshore and offshore. The sweeping action has drawn sharp criticism from clean energy advocates in North Carolina, where offshore wind was poised to play a significant role in the energy transition.

It was one of dozens of executive orders signed Monday by Trump, a Republican who returned to the White House after a four-year absence. Trump signed other executive orders related to climate, too, removing the U.S. from the Paris Climate treaty and pushing back on Biden-era mandates on electric vehicles.

"We're not going to do the wind thing," Trump said during an event at Capital One Arena on Monday hours after being sworn in.

The Biden Administration approved 11 commercial-scale offshore wind projects in the past four years.

Trump is a proponent of expanded drilling for oil and fracking. He said Monday that the U.S. has more oil and gas than any other nation.

"And we're going to use it," he said.

Offshore wind development has gained momentum in North Carolina, The Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind farm near Corolla and two planned wind farms off Brunswick County are key to the state’s clean energy goals.

Together, they could generate enough power for over 1.4 million homes by the 2030s. North Carolina aims for 2.8 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 and 8 gigawatts by 2040, per former Gov. Roy Cooper’s 2021 executive order. Duke Energy plans to add 2.4 gigawatts of offshore wind to its grid by 2035.

"His order to halt offshore wind energy permitting will have serious consequences for North Carolina’s economy," U.S. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Wake County Democrat, said in a statement. "Our state is leading America’s development of offshore wind energy, which has not only supported our fight for a clean energy future but also bolstered North Carolina’s economy and created thousands of jobs."

Trump’s directive may slow progress, raising concerns about meeting state energy targets and the economic opportunities tied to the offshore wind industry.

The order also mandates a review of existing wind leases and targets projects like the Lava Ridge Wind Project in Idaho, approved by the Biden administration in December.

Trump’s broader action has introduced hesitation among developers and utilities across the country, with many concerned about the stability of federal support for the industry.

"Before any developer is willing to invest the hundreds of millions of dollars in the full permitting process, they require someone to purchase their electricity," said Katherine Kollins, president of the Southeast Wind Coalition. "Without secured off-take agreements, projects in North Carolina are unlikely to move forward quickly, especially with the federal government pressing pause on permits."

North Carolina’s coastline, a prime area for wind energy (due to high wind and shallow water), has attracted significant investment, including $315 million in federal leases from companies like TotalEnergies and Duke Energy.

"The offshore wind industry is already an economic force,” Kollins said. “It employs thousands of people, has revitalized underutilized ports, and represents billions of dollars of investment into the U.S. economy. Halting this progress is unnecessary and harmful.”

The Southeast, including North Carolina, has 82% of the East Coast’s shallow-water wind resource, a significant advantage for offshore wind. But the U.S. offshore wind industry faces obstacles like inflation, supply chain issues, and concerns about visual and environmental impacts.

"Wind energy projects are an important component to the southeast region’s future success in transitioning to a clean energy economy and the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs," said Drew Ball, the southeast campaigns director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, in a statement. "[Monday's] executive order stymies that progress and squanders the industry’s investment in the southeast. We need to use every resource available to generate energy at home and lessen our reliance on fossil fuels.”

The U.S. lags behind global leaders like China, the UK, and Germany in offshore wind energy production, despite efforts to expand its capacity.

Trump's opposition to wind energy is well-documented, including claims that turbines harm wildlife like whales and birds and are visually unappealing.

"Big, ugly windmills — they ruin your neighborhood," Trump said Monday.

His disdain dates back to at least 2006, when he fought to block a proposed wind farm near his golf course in Aberdeen, Scotland.

Trump argued the turbines would ruin the view and harm tourism. The U.K. Supreme Court rejected his legal challenge in 2015, and in 2019, the Trump Organization was ordered to pay $290,000 to the Scottish government to cover legal fees related to the case.

That battle marked the beginning of Trump’s public opposition to wind energy, which he frequently criticized during his first term. At a 2024 fundraising dinner, Trump described wind turbines as “unreliable, unattractive, and bad for the environment,” sentiments that resurfaced in Monday’s order.

Trump repeated unfounded claims that people won't be able to watch television if the wind is not blowing on a certain night, a misunderstanding of how energy works.

"The wind isn't blowing so we can't watch television that night," Trump said. "

In his executive order, Trump cited all of these factors — meeting the country's growing demand for reliable energy, the importance of marine life, impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns, the effects on energy costs and maintaining a robust fishing industry.

Duke Energy said in a statement it would be reviewing Trump's many energy-related executive orders and assess potential impacts over coming weeks.

The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is under construction and set to be the largest offshore wind farm in the nation by 2026. While existing projects like Virginia’s pilot wind farm may continue, Trump’s order has introduced uncertainty that could discourage future investment.

For North Carolina, the decision threatens to stall the state’s clean energy ambitions at a time when offshore wind was poised to make significant contributions to its energy mix.

"Offshore wind is one of the few energy assets that can be developed and operating right now to meet rising electricity demand," Kollins said. "It’s critical for reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to a clean energy economy."