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In its latest move against the wind industry, the Trump-led Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced Wednesday that it will rescind over 3.5 million acres of designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the outer continental shelf, halting plans for new offshore wind energy projects along the coast.

The directive does not appear to affect lease areas that have already been awarded, including those within the Humboldt WEA, which spans more than 200 square miles roughly 20 miles west of Eureka. Those lease areas sold for over $331.5 million in December 2022 during the first-ever offshore wind lease sale on the West Coast. 

“While we are not the final word, this decision does not appear to affect existing lease areas, but rather areas identified as potential future lease sites,” Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Executive Director Chris Mikkelson told the Outpost.

“By rescinding WEAs, BOEM is ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the [outer continental shelf] for speculative wind development, and is de-designating over 3.5 million acres of unleased federal waters previously targeted for offshore wind development across the Gulf of America, Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic,” the press release states.

The announcement comes in response to an order issued earlier this week by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum calling for the end of “any preferential treatment toward wind and solar facilities … in any Department regulations, guidance, policies, or practices.” Under the order, new wind and solar energy projects will be subject to “elevated review” and “enhanced oversight” by the federal government.

The order is yet another effort by the Trump administration to roll back Biden-era policies — or, as stated in the order, “an ideological agenda … tailored towards climate extremism” — that prioritized renewable energy over fossil fuel projects. 

BOEM’s announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump repeatedly attacked wind power during a press conference at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. “We will not allow a windmill to be built in the United States,” he said. “They’re killing us. They’re killing the beauty of our scenery.”

On his first day in office, Trump fulfilled a long-held promise to block offshore wind development, issuing a sweeping Executive Order to halt leasing and permitting for new wind energy projects planned for the outer continental shelf, sparking widespread concern over the future of offshore wind in the United States.

Asked whether the announcement includes the Humboldt WEA, BOEM spokesperson Brian Walch told the Outpost: “There are no remaining unleased WEAs offshore California.”

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BOEM press release:

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced it is rescinding all designated Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This action is being taken in accordance with Secretary’s Order (SO) 3437 - Ending Preferential Treatment for Unreliable, Foreign Controlled Energy Sources in Department Decision-Making – and the Presidential Memorandum of January 20, 2025 – Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the OCS from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects. 

WEAs were originally established to identify offshore locations deemed most suitable for wind energy development.

By rescinding WEAs, BOEM is ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the OCS for speculative wind development, and is de-designating over 3.5 million acres of unleased federal waters previously targeted for offshore wind development across the Gulf of America, Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic. 

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Note: This post has been updated to include a brief statement from BOEM.