Offshore wind power projects are flailing, just when the East Coast needs them most

East Coast states face rising electricity prices, aging transmission lines, and surging demand from data centers, with grid operator PJM projecting demand will outstrip supply by 7.8 gigawatts by 2033. Offshore wind was positioned as the region's best answer, but the Trump administration has subjected projects to Pentagon reviews, permit revocations, and stop-work orders, and paid developers roughly $4 billion by mid-August to surrender federal leases, eliminating an estimated 21 gigawatts of potential capacity.

European firms like Orsted and Avangrid still hold undeveloped leases but appear unlikely to proceed. States including New York, Massachusetts, Maryland and New Jersey built offshore wind into their climate plans and have largely not adjusted them, even as experts say the East's geography offers few renewable alternatives and note some project cancellations predate Trump-era policy.

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