Federal judge lifts administration halt of offshore wind farm in New England

Trump, renewables, and policy motives

• Many commenters criticize Trump’s characterization of wind/solar as a “scam” as factually wrong, given their current grid contribution.
• Explanations for his hostility include:
  • Alignment with fossil fuel interests and donors.
  • Personal animus toward wind near his golf properties and broader elitist NIMBYism.
  • Culture-war signaling to a base that dislikes “lib” climate policies.
• A theory that he wants to sell more U.S. fossil fuels to pay down the debt is widely dismissed as economically incoherent; fossil revenues are too small relative to the federal debt, and renewables would actually free more fuel for export.
• Several people note that his own policies significantly increased the debt, undermining any fiscal-rectitude narrative.

Courts, shadow docket, and presidential power

• There is pessimism that the current Supreme Court will ultimately allow robust renewable regulation, given its conservative majority and recent rollback of agency regulatory authority.
• Discussion of the “shadow docket” highlights:
  • Emergency rulings have increasingly favored Trump-era positions over Biden-era ones.
  • Some see this as evidence of partisan capture; others emphasize it’s hard to compare “extremity” of cases without bias.
• A long subthread debates the recent presidential immunity ruling:
  • One side views it as entrenching de facto impunity for presidents, threatening rule of law.
  • Another argues it mostly formalized long-standing practice (e.g., wartime and drone actions) and even slightly constrained immunity by tying it to “official acts.”
  • Both parties are seen as having expanded executive power over decades, with Congress failing to check it.

Offshore wind in New England: politics, NIMBY, and economics

• Several commenters stress that fights over offshore wind between Boston and NYC predate the current administration by decades; this is just the latest round.
• Opponents are described as wealthy coastal homeowners, tourism interests, and some environmental or cultural groups; supporters include climate advocates, domestic energy proponents, and large developers.
• Examples from the long-stalled Cape Wind project illustrate typical objections (spoiled views, sunset rituals, noise) that engineers argue are negligible at proposed distances.
• Skepticism remains that any side will win consistently enough to build at scale, despite the region’s strong wind resource.
• Stop–start U.S. policy, Jones Act constraints on specialized vessels, and regulatory/process overhead are seen as driving up costs relative to places like China, where offshore wind can now undercut coal.

Aesthetics, acceptance, and public perception

• Aesthetic objections (ugly horizon, ruined sunsets) are common; some argue people ultimately normalize such infrastructure, as with transmission lines or cell towers.
• Others say they find wind farms visually impressive and symbolic of progress.
• Suggestions include temporarily anchoring a single turbine offshore so locals can see real-world visual impact, though many doubt it would soften opposition.