Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum rejected the idea of a compromise that would have the Trump administration restarting wind energy projects in exchange for Democrats voting for permitting reform legislation favored by the administration.
At an event hosted by the American Petroleum Institute on Monday, Burgum dismissed the concept of such a deal on the grounds that wind power is wrong for the country.
“I haven’t thought about the idea of trading something that makes sense for everybody in America for something that makes no sense, and that’s how I sort of view offshore wind,” Burgum said.
In recent months, the Trump administration has taken steps to make it more difficult for new offshore wind projects to move forward, as it has paused projects that are under construction or fully permitted by the federal government.
At the event, Burgum criticized the wind industry, calling it unreliable and highly subsidized.
“I’m familiar with the industry, but this offshore thing exists only because of the subsidies,” Burgum said. He added that the passage of Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which repealed subsidies for the sector, was the “end of the offshore wind industry.”
Members of both parties favor permitting reform in order to speed up the construction of energy products. But Democrats have been reluctant sign on to legislation because the Trump administration has blocked projects of the kind that they hope to facilitate, especially solar and wind energy.
At the end of July, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) introduced the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act. Democratic Rep. Jared Golden (ME), who is co-sponsoring the bill.
The bill would overhaul and simplify the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to review the environmental effects of proposed projects. It would also limit legal challenges to projects under the law. The bill also includes language to ensure accelerated reviews for all types of energy sources and infrastructure projects.
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At an API event, Westerman said, “We need to have as much bipartisan support as possible.”
So on the SPEED act, we’ve got, I believe we’re up to five Democrat and five Republican co-sponsors, and we’re steadily adding numbers to that,” he said.
Burgum also noted the need for judicial reform to reduce legal challenges.
“We need congressional changes, but we also have to get the judicial reform pushed through as well,” Burgum said, adding that lawsuits can hold a project in court for years.
