b'30American Journal ofTransportation ajot.com(BLOWcontinued fromportedbyfossilfuelinterestFive-YearPlanintendsforwhohaveexpressedopposi- whichinsomecasesviews page 24) groups.Thisdisinformation18% of the renewable energytioninstateslike Texasandbigger trucks as a detriment, The Biden administrationiswidespread.Accordingtoinvolved to come from wind,Oklahomaandeveninthenotanenablerofimproved set a national offshore winda 2024 study in Nature Com- aswellassolar.TheEuro- Republican ranks itself, wouldinfrastructure.powergoalof30gigawattsmunications,nearly30%ofpean Union (EU), as well, issecretly like to see a reverse of capacity by 2030 and 110therespondents,locatedinattempting to pivot to renew- shift back in the wind? gigawatts by 2050. NationaltheUS,UK,andAustralia,able energy, including wind.(REVITALIZEcontinued RenewableEnergyLabora- believedfalseclaimsaboutTheEuropeanWindActionfrom page 28)tory(NREL)nowbelieveswind farms. These false claimsPlan,whichwasannounced(SPENDINGcontinuedthe low-pressure system, the the U.S. will have, optimis- rangefromtheenvironmen- in October of 2023, was setfrom page 27) EPZ might eventually shrink tically lessthan5gigawattstal to the conspiratorial. It isuptocreateguidelinesandbyspecific axle limits exist- tothesizeofthehullitself in operation by 2030. acommonbeliefthatwindhelptoacceleratethewinding in law that would requiremaking it comparable to other And the impacts of Trumpsfarmshaveanintensenega- energy movement.legislativeactiontomakeacommercial ships now in ser-EOsarealreadybeingfelt.tive impact on the ecosystemschange,Smithexplained.vicealthoughtheEPZs InAprilTrumpadministra- they are in such as bird strikest hef uture : w indsd ay UtahandColoradocouldsizeforaFS-MSFRsystem tiontookamoreaggressiveandfishingstockloss,andinC ourt ? amendadministrativerules,hasnt yet been defined. stepagainstwindinAprilsome stranger claims, such asOne of the great ironiesbut opposition exists in bothBut part of the challenge whenitorderedtheNorwe- wind farms causing cancer.oftheTrumpadministra- states for various reasons. forCOREPOWERisthere giancompanyEquinortotionsoppositiontowindThe SC&RA continues toisnoprecedentforinsuring haltconstructiononEmpireG LoBaLw indP ower powerishowdamagingwork to effect change in theseorevenregulatingamobile Wind, a fully permitted proj- Althoughheadwindsarethetemporarypauseinthreestates,usingscientificcommercialnuclear-power ect located southeast of Longslowing offshore wind powerexpanding wind power is todata and grassroots advocacy.plant. There is currently no Island,NewYork,thatisprojects in the U.S., the sametheadministrationbaseandTheorganizationpartnersliabilityregimethatallows about 30% complete.is not true for other countries.totheiroveralleconomicwithstatetruckingassocia- you to move a reactor in and InFebruary2025,ShellGlobally,thereisanobjectives. The top five windtions, all part of the nationalout of different jurisdictions, lefttheAtlanticShoresoff- estimated83.2gigawattsofgeneratingstatesareTexaslobbying group, the Americanbut efforts are now underway shorewindproject,andtheinstalled wind power capac- (with almost 26% of the totalTrucking Associations. tosolvethiswiththeinsur-projectsbiddingprocessitywith11gigawattsin31wind generation in the U.S.),Wealsouseourrela- anceindustryandmember wascanceledbytheNewwindfarmscommissionedIowa, Oklahoma, Kansas andtionshipwiththeWesternstates of IMO and the IAEA, Jersey Board of Public Utili- in2024.AsBenBackwell,Illinois. AndtheoppositionAssociation of State HighwayBe said of the situation.ties(NJBPU).AccordingtoCEO of Global Wind Energymakes even less sense whenandTransportationOfficials, theNJBPU,thereasoningCouncil (GWEC) said of thetiedtotheadministrationsWASHTO, he said.m akinGLiBertyar eaLitybehindthecancelationwascurrent wind power situationavowedeconomicgoals.WASHTOisaregionalThere are numerous reg-bothShellswithdrawal,andglobally,Onceagain,theBesides the obvious loss ofassociationoftransportationulatoryhurdlesforCORE uncertaintyduetofederalwind industry has broken newjobs, investment and revenueprofessionals and policymak- POWERtoovercomefor actions.TheNJBPUPresi- installationrecords,despitefromwindpowerprojects,ers from Western States. TheytheLIBERTYprogramto dent,ChristineGuhl-Sadovy,morechallengingmacro- whichisatoddswiththefocusonidentifyingtrans- become a reality. In particu-said,TheBoardconcludedeconomicheadwindsoveravowedgoalsofdevelop- portationissues,developinglar,exportcontrolrestric-that an award in New Jerseysthe last few years. Adding,ingmoreenergyresourcessolutions,promotinguni- tionsfornuclearpropulsion fourth offshore wind solicita- Whilewindenergycontin- energyresourcesthatformity,andrecommendingareessentiallybuiltaround tion, despite the manifold ben- uestodriveinvestmentandneedtobeinputtedintoanpolicies to improve highwaytheDepartmentofDefense efits the industry offers to thejobs, improve energy securityaging grid to address risinginfrastructureandtheeffi- (DOD).Foracivilnuclear state, would not be a respon- andlowerconsumercosts,electricity demand from datacient movement of goods. propulsionprogramtobe sible decision at this time. we are seeing a more volatilecentersandotheremerg- launched, the lines of demar-Anditisntjustaboutpolicyenvironmentinsomeingtechnologies.EventheB iGt ruCksa ren ot a cation between civil authori-the wind farm projects them- parts of the world, includingadministrationsEOMari- d etriment toi mProved tiesliketheDepartmentof selves; other facets of powerideologicallydrivenattackstimeActionplanseemsi nfrastruCture , B ut Commerce(DOC)andthe investmentarealsobeingon wind and renewables andlike folly when it dismissesa rev itaL toC omPLetinG DOD for nuclear power must crippled. In 2022, the Italianthe halting of under construc- theenormousshipbuildingP roJeCts be redefined. cable manufacturer Prysmiantionprojects,threateningpotential associated buildingFor many, increased spend- Still there are compelling initiallyagreedtobuildainvestment certainty. floating offshore wind poweringoninfrastructureislongreasons for the U.S. to take the $200 million facility to buildEvenwiththehead- platformsandtheirsupportoverdueandanecessitytonecessary steps. China has an subseatransmissioncableswindsintheU.S.,glob- systems. A maritime goldensupportbothbusinessandimmense lead in shipbuilding attheBraytonPointsite(aallywindpowercapacityisage is within the administra- personaltravelthroughoutandiftheU.S.wantstoget decommissionedcoal-firedstillincreasing.Andmosttions immediate grasp but isthe U.S. To make these plansback in the race, what better powerplantthatshutdownprominent of the wind powerbeing shoved aside. a reality, OS & OV trucks areway than to shift the paradigm? in 2017) in Somerset, Massa- proponentsisChina.ChinaSo,whenwindpowercrucial,requiringcarrierstoAndacivilnuclear-powered chusetts for the New Englandcurrently has added the mostfinallygetsitsdayincourt,navigate a complex regulatoryshipbuildingprogramwould Wind project. In January withwindfarms,andChinasit is easy to wonder if manylandscape and public opinion,do just that.anti-windpowersentiment blowing in from Washington, the cable-maker walked away from the deal. o therB arriers tow indWhile the operating costs of wind farms are lower than fossil fuel plants, the upfront cost of investing in wind proj-ects can be high. This means thatwindfarmprojectsare extremelysensitivetoinsta-bilityintheeconomicland-scape.COVID-19,persistent inflation,aswellasother recenteventsinthepolitical landscape,havecausedpric-ing and demand to shoot up forlogistics,materials,and labor. This makes the already high entry price for a project even higher. And the current tariffsintheUnitedStates are threatening the stability of many supply chains, including those of wind power projects. Windenergyalsoregu-larly encounters highly organized resistancefromdisinforma-tioncampaignsoftensup-'