Legislators line up to protest job losses resulting from Trump’s anti-offshore wind stance

In a joint Labor Day statement on offshore wind, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee, and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said, “On Labor Day, we honour the strength, skill, and determination of America’s workers. From construction sites and factories to ports and power plants, working people are the backbone of our economy and the foundation of our shared prosperity.

“Nowhere is that clearer than in the offshore wind industry, where labour is on the front lines. Today, more than 5,000 workers are directly engaged with building this new American industry, with many thousands more manufacturing products across 40 states that will help lead to a new era of US energy independence. 

“These projects represent years of planning, billions of dollars in private investment, and the promise of tens of thousands of additional jobs. They are revitalising our ports, strengthening our supply chains, and ensuring that America, not our competitors, leads in clean energy manufacturing and innovation.

“We are looking for the Trump Administration to uphold all offshore wind permits already granted and allow these projects to be constructed. Efforts to walk back these commitments jeopardise hardworking families, wasting years of progress and ceding leadership to foreign competitors. Workers, businesses and communities need certainty, not reversals that would cost tens of thousands of American jobs and critical investment. 

“Sudden reversals would also impact countless other workers and taxpayers on scores of non-energy public projects. The US markets operate on certainty. Cancelling projects that have already been fully permitted – including some near completion – sends the worrisome message to investors that the work can be stopped on a whim, which could lead them to decide to either not finance different projects or impose higher interest rates that would ultimately place a bigger burden on taxpayers.

“At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring that the electric grid is reliable, resilient and affordable. Offshore wind and other renewables are central to that effort, but it must be complemented by a diverse mix of resources – including nuclear power, natural gas, hydropower, and other technologies that together keep our system strong and our energy sources secure. 

“Doing so will also help us attract major economic development projects that will offer economic security for American workers and transform communities as we move to a 21st century economy. As Governors, we are committed to delivering on this energy system for our states and working with the Trump Administration to advance projects that meet these objectives.

“We reaffirm our unwavering support for working people and the unions that represent them. We stand with America’s workers and strongly urge the Trump administration to keep these projects on track – for our jobs, our families, our competitiveness, our energy security, and our future.”