The Division of Transportation lately scuttled $679 million in federal funding for coastal port initiatives supposed to help the closely sponsored offshore wind trade. The cash will as an alternative 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 vitality initiatives. 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 % to 40 % of the time.
The place will individuals get their electrical energy in the course of the different 100 hours every week? If oil and pure gasoline 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 initiatives have been affected, together with California’s Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Venture. At $427 million, this was probably the most vital federal grant rescinded by the Transportation Division.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 a continental shelf off the once-Golden State, so wind advocates have 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 actual world, and the unfathomable dangers embrace the hazard that cables might snap, inflicting whole rigs to capsize in storms, creating particles fields alongside the Pacific Coast.
Funding was additionally withdrawn from “wind port initiatives” on the Bridgeport Port Authority (Connecticut), Port of Davisville (Rhode Island), Paulsboro (New Jersey), Norfolk (Virginia),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) initiatives.
These subsidies have been crafty, a part of a decades-long effort to maintain alive the myths that offshore wind vitality is almost 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 vitality subsidy?
The identical applies to a number of the terminology, such because the Lake Erie Renewable Vitality Resilience Venture. Its on-and-off electrical energy will definitely drive 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 have 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 might “value tens of hundreds of American jobs” in vitality industries and trigger buyers to keep away from financing future initiatives.
Environmentalists and wind trade representatives mentioned the choice undermines the “clear” vitality trade, kills high-paying jobs and will result in larger vitality costs.
They’re all mistaken. This vitality will not be “clear.” Offshore wind installations require 14 instances 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 strains.
That requires mining all around the planet, a lot of it involving widespread destruction of croplands and wildlife habitats, intensive youngster and slave labor, and large quantities of poisonous air and water air pollution.
Any high-paying jobs that could be misplaced in putting in and sustaining offshore generators would get replaced by jobs constructing and working coal, gasoline and nuclear energy crops that generate dependable, reasonably priced electrical energy in portions that the power-hungry nation wants — for AI, knowledge facilities, hospitals, factories and fashionable dwelling requirements.
Increased vitality costs are primarily a results of insurance policies favoring wind and photo voltaic vitality. Many prices are hidden in subsidies and electrical energy fee add-ons. Charges are a lot larger in states and nations which have probably the most wind and photo voltaic technology, primarily as a result of they have to duplicate each megawatt of “renewable” energy with mills that guarantee electrical energy when there isn’t a 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 gasoline, coal and nuclear energy means dependable, reasonably priced electrical energy that helps and sustains industries and employment.
States can nonetheless finance these port upgrades themselves and pursue their offshore wind turbine desires. Nevertheless, they have 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 could jeopardize.
American budgets, jobs, well being, welfare and environmental treasures can’t afford extra vitality fantasies, particularly offshore wind.
The DOT made the fitting 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.
