The Division of Transportation lately scuttled $679 million in federal funding for coastal port tasks supposed to help the closely sponsored offshore wind business. The cash will as a substitute be used for much-needed conventional infrastructure and shipbuilding.
It’s a tiny fraction of the tens of billions spent or dedicated on wind and photo voltaic power tasks. However the cuts reinforce President Trump’s dedication to finish federal funding for this costly type of electrical energy from offshore generators that generate energy solely 35 p.c to 40 p.c of the time.
The place will folks get their electrical energy throughout the different 100 hours every week? If oil and pure fuel are locked within the floor, the place will they get their paints, plastics, prescription drugs, artificial fibers and cosmetics — the 6,000-plus merchandise that come from petrochemicals — together with wind turbine blades?
Twelve tasks had been affected, together with California’s Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Undertaking. At $427 million, this was probably the most important federal grant rescinded by the Transportation Division.
Together with the $8 million Redwood Marine Terminal, Humboldt was probably the most indefensible of any offshore wind energy proposal but conceived. There isn’t any continental shelf off the once-Golden State, so wind advocates had been planning to put in Washington Monument-size generators on huge semi-submersible platforms anchored by cables to the seafloor, 1,000 toes or extra beneath the ocean floor.
The idea has by no means been examined in the true world, and the unfathomable dangers embody the hazard that cables may snap, inflicting complete rigs to capsize in storms, creating particles fields alongside the Pacific Coast.
Funding was additionally withdrawn from “wind port tasks” on the Bridgeport Port Authority (Connecticut), Port of Davisville (Rhode Island), Paulsboro (New Jersey), Norfolk (Virginia), Sparrows Level (Maryland) and Arthur Kill Terminal (New York).
Funding was terminated for the Radio Island (North Carolina), Lake Erie (Michigan), Portsmouth Marine Terminal (Virginia) and Salem Wind Port (Massachusetts) tasks.
These subsidies had been crafty, a part of a decades-long effort to maintain alive the myths that offshore wind power is sort of self-sufficient and generates more and more cheap electrical energy. Who’d have thought Atlantic, Pacific and Nice Lakes ports funding was truly one other wind power subsidy?
The identical applies to a number of the terminology, such because the Lake Erie Renewable Vitality Resilience Undertaking. Its on-and-off electrical energy will definitely pressure clients to be resilient, in the event that they wish to cool their houses 24/7 in summer season, warmth them in winter and watch the Tremendous Bowl.
Reactions to the cutbacks had been swift and predictable.
5 East Coast governors collectively criticized the Transportation actions. Strolling again these authorities commitments jeopardizes households and wastes years of progress, they mentioned. Terminating this funding may “price tens of 1000’s of American jobs” in power industries and trigger traders to keep away from financing future tasks.
Environmentalists and wind business representatives mentioned the choice undermines the “clear” power business, kills high-paying jobs and will result in increased power costs.
They’re all mistaken. This power isn’t “clear.” Offshore wind installations require 14 occasions extra uncooked supplies than combined-cycle gas-generating crops to supply the identical quantity of electrical energy, with out together with supplies for backup energy and transmission traces.
That requires mining everywhere in the planet, a lot of it involving widespread destruction of croplands and wildlife habitats, intensive little one and slave labor, and large quantities of poisonous air and water air pollution.
Any high-paying jobs that is perhaps misplaced in putting in and sustaining offshore generators would get replaced by jobs constructing and working coal, fuel and nuclear energy crops that generate dependable, inexpensive electrical energy in portions that the power-hungry nation wants — for AI, information facilities, hospitals, factories and trendy dwelling requirements.
Increased power costs are primarily a results of insurance policies favoring wind and photo voltaic power. Many prices are hidden in subsidies and electrical energy price add-ons. Charges are a lot increased in states and nations which have probably the most wind and photo voltaic era, primarily as a result of they need to duplicate each megawatt of “renewable” energy with mills that guarantee electrical energy when there isn’t any wind or sunshine.
A heavy reliance on wind and solar energy results in repeated, usually widespread blackouts. Sky-high electrical energy costs kill jobs. Changing wind and photo voltaic with fuel, coal and nuclear energy means dependable, inexpensive electrical energy that helps and sustains industries and employment.
States can nonetheless finance these port upgrades themselves and pursue their offshore wind turbine goals. Nevertheless, they need to additionally safeguard endangered whales and different marine species, Navy submarines and different navy operations, fishing vessels, and very important air and floor transportation actions that offshore wind installations might jeopardize.
American budgets, jobs, well being, welfare and environmental treasures can not afford extra power fantasies, particularly offshore wind.
The DOT made the suitable name in ending these wind turbine subsidies and redirecting the cash to the place it’s actually wanted.
Craig Rucker is the president of the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. He wrote this for InsideSources.com.
