‘Why take those jobs away?’: The unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on wind

The Trump administration has spent more than $2.6 billion buying out wind energy leases, part of a broader push to block wind projects through executive orders, attempted stop-work orders, and lease cancellations. Four deals are done so far, including $765 million paid to Invenergy to abandon four wind projects in California, New York, and Maine, and nearly $900 million to cancel offshore wind leases in New York and California. In June, the administration dropped its court fight to freeze all wind permitting and leasing nationwide after a judge tossed the original order.

Union workers on projects that survived the stop-work orders describe months of uncertainty over pay and job security, even as courts repeatedly sided against the administration. Rhode Island's Revolution Wind project, now more than 90 percent complete, began delivering power to New England in March and is expected to serve over 350,000 homes and businesses once finished. Massachusetts's Vineyard Wind 1 is already completed and operating. The Interior Department says no jobs were actually lost, arguing the halted or bought-out leases weren't yet producing jobs anyway, and that it prefers investing in existing energy infrastructure that can create work faster.

For homeowners, this mainly affects the regional power supply picture rather than any direct upgrade or rebate program. If you live near New England or the Northeast coast, it's worth knowing that offshore wind capacity is still coming online in some cases, even as new projects face federal roadblocks elsewhere.