Offshore wind energy projects to the Vineyard’s south and across the country have come under fire just one day into the new presidential administration. 

In an executive order on Monday, just hours after his inauguration, President Donald Trump ordered the federal government to conduct a review of the “ecological, economic, and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases” in order to identify any legal basis for their removal. 

The President also ordered that all other areas be withdrawn from consideration for future leases, and paused any approvals and renewals for projects, leaving the multi-billion dollar industry in choppy regulatory waters. 

President Trump has been a vociferous opponent of offshore wind energy, often claiming that wind turbines are driving whales crazy. During his campaign, he vowed to work against the nascent industry.

“We’re not going to do the wind thing. Big, ugly wind mills. They ruin your neighborhood,” the President said. 

In the executive order, the administration cited “the need to foster an energy economy capable of meeting the country’s growing demand for reliable energy, the importance of marine life, impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns, effects on energy costs for Americans — especially those who can least afford it — and to ensure that the United States is able to maintain a robust fishing industry for future generations and provide low cost energy to its citizens.” 

Proponents of offshore wind after the November election said that the Trump administration would likely target projects that had not yet been approved, though President Trump’s executive order goes a step further, putting existing projects into the regulatory crosshairs. Industry experts have said the alteration of existing leases would be tougher to do and likely be mired in legal challenges. 

“Offshore wind is a critical part of our region’s efforts to reduce dirty, polluting fossil fuel, create good-paying jobs, and ensure long-term savings for families and businesses,” said Kate Sinding Daly, the senior vice president for law and policy at the Conservation Law Foundation. “The potential benefits for Massachusetts and the nation are enormous. We cannot afford to let misinformation undermine the future we value and are working toward.”

While noting that existing leases would not be touched in the withdrawal order, President Trump has tasked the Secretary of the Interior, along with the attorney general, to conduct the review of existing leases, and they will submit a report with recommendations to the President.

Under the order, approvals for wind farms, or even renewals, will not be allowed until an assessment by the Department of the Interior is done to review federal wind leasing and permitting practices. 

The order does not apply to leasing for oil, gas, minerals and environmental conservation. 

Offshore wind energy has been a cornerstone of the Biden Administration’s effort on renewable energy, and the projects in the 800,000-square acre area south of the Vineyard have been championed by Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey.

Kelt Wilska, the offshore wind director for the Environmental League of Massachusetts, said the decision would hurt the industry that’s built up around offshore wind, costing Americans jobs. 

“We’ve already invested $25 billion in the offshore wind industry in the United States,” he said. 

He expected that any effort to rollback already approved projects would result in lengthy litigation, but he said the renewable energy source has momentum and he believed it could continue despite the executive order. 

“Offshore wind projects do not begin and end in four years,” he said. “Offshore wind is coming to New England and the United States and we are just going to have to move through some more obstacles.” 

President Trump’s pick for Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum will be tasked with leading the reviews. Mr. Burgum was asked by Maine Sen. Angus King to try and convince President Trump that “wind power isn’t all bad,” during his confirmation hearing last week. 

Mr. Burgum is the former governor of North Dakota, a state that produces a large chunk of its energy via land-based wind turbines. Mr. Burgum told lawmakers that projects that make sense would continue and the country needed an “all of the above strategy,” when it came to energy.

The executive order could be welcome news for those on the Island who have questioned the benefits of offshore wind energy. 

John Osmers, an Island fisherman, has worried about the wind turbines effects on the ecosystem, as well as the damage to the seafloor from installing power cables for the wind farms.

He was heartened by the order from President Trump, saying it could slow down projects other parts of New England, such as the Gulf of Maine. 

“I think it’s a good move for the fight against offshore wind,” Mr. Osmers said. “It might slow them down a little and it’s a good eye-opener for the movement.” 

Cheryl Andrews-Maltais, the chairwoman of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) tribal council, has argued that the Biden administration was moving too fast on approving projects. 

Last year, Ms. Andrews-Maltais called on the federal government to stop all construction and operation of turbines until each blade was reinspected to prevent further breaks like the one that happened at Vineyard Wind this past summer.

Though she disagreed with many of Mr. Trump’s policies, Ms. Andrews-Maltais said in a November interview that she felt he understood the need to do more study on the implications of turbines.

“The incoming administration recognizes that offshore wind is not a panacea,” she said. “We are hoping that the new administration will hear us and work with us.”

All of the areas off the southern coast of the Island set aside for offshore wind projects are currently under a lease, though several projects have not yet been approved by the Bureau of Energy Management. Hundreds of turbines are planned for this area of the ocean; Vineyard Wind, Revolution Wind, SouthCoast Wind, New England Wind, Sunrise Wind and South Fork Wind have all already received federal approval. 

Only South Fork Wind and Vineyard Wind are operational, though Vineyard Wind was dealt a major setback after one of its massive blades broke off into the ocean in July.

Vineyard Wind, the only project to have a major presence on the Vineyard, declined to comment on the executive order.

SouthCoast Wind had gained an initial approval from BOEM last year and had its construction and operations plan approval on Friday. In a statement this week, the company’s top executive noted the economic and energy benefits of offshore wind projects as the SouthCoast Wind looks to forge a path forward.

“In the United States, we believe in the potential of our offshore wind projects to create thousands of jobs, generate billions of dollars in economic activity, and provide new energy generation to meet rapidly growing demand,” SouthCoast Wind CEO Michael Brown said in a statement. “We will continue to assess the scope and implications of the executive orders on our three U.S. projects. Offshore wind farms are long term development projects, and we will keep on finding a path forward in coordination with all relevant authorities.”

A second project by Vineyard Wind, Beacon Wind and Bay State Wind are all still under review by BOEM and could be part of a regulatory grind, according to wind proponents.

Monday’s executive order also included limits for onshore wind projects, and specifically called out a project in Idaho. 

Despite the current vocal opposition, the first Trump administration did move offshore wind off the coast of Massachusetts forward. In 2018, the administration touted a record grossing competitive lease process, netting $405 million in winning bids for about 390,000 acres of ocean, including a $135 million bid from Vineyard Wind for its planned second farm.