đź•’ Last updated on September 9, 2025
The Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island was designed to be a milestone for clean energy in the United States.
A billion-dollar wind farm under attack
With a price tag of $1.5 billion, it promised to deliver 705 megawatts of power, enough to supply electricity to about 350,000 homes. Work on the project had been going on for more than a decade, with planning starting as early as 2011. The first turbine went into the water in 2023, and by August 2025, 45 of the 65 planned turbines had been installed.
The project was not only about clean power. Its developer highlighted the fact that the supply chain stretched across 40 U.S. states and supported hundreds of unionized jobs. For years, it was promoted as an example of American workers building America’s energy future. But the project came under direct threat after the new administration came to power.
On his first day back in office, the President signed an executive order blocking all new federal wind permits. Soon after, the government passed a finance bill that ended tax credits for wind and solar projects unless construction began within a year.
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Approvals for other projects, like the Lava Ridge Wind development in Idaho, were also canceled. These moves created huge uncertainty for investors, leaving even projects already under construction facing the risk of being abandoned.
Undermining science and creating chaos
The pressure on renewable energy has not stopped at permits and tax rules. The administration has also moved to challenge the very science behind climate change. Proposals were made to let key satellites burn up in space, cutting off vital weather and climate data used by farmers and researchers. The government also shut down the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which is famous for its long record of measuring carbon dioxide levels.
In another drastic move, the government replaced hundreds of scientists who had been working on climate assessments with only a handful of people who reject the idea that climate change is a threat. At the same time, climate skeptics were placed in top decision-making roles inside agencies that once supported clean energy. One of the most serious efforts has been to roll back the legal finding that carbon dioxide is a pollutant, a ruling that has allowed it to be regulated for years.
The actions of the administration have also emboldened anti-renewable groups outside government. In Rhode Island, a group fighting against wind energy threatened legal action against a university lab that had published research linking it to fossil fuel interests. The attack on independent researchers shows how the fight against renewables has spread beyond government policy into civil society.
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These steps have combined to create a deeply unstable environment for renewable energy projects. Investors are now forced to think twice before putting money into clean power, as rules and approvals could be ripped up at any moment.
A bigger strategy of carbon dominance
The ongoing effort is not just about slowing down the growth of renewable energy. It is also about making fossil fuels look like the only stable and profitable option. This approach has been described as a strategy of “carbon dominance,” where instead of fossil fuel projects being left stranded by the shift to clean energy, renewable projects are deliberately turned into stranded assets.
This strategy has not been developed in isolation. Think tanks and industry groups with close ties to fossil fuels have supported the administration’s moves. Ideas once tested at the state level, particularly in places like Texas, are now being rolled out nationwide. These include efforts to change rules so that renewable energy projects face tougher approval processes or new costs that make them less profitable compared to oil, gas, and coal.
At the same time, tariffs and trade policies are being used to push other countries to buy more U.S. fossil fuels, even when they are trying to switch to cleaner sources of energy. Similar tactics have been picked up by conservative governments overseas, with some states and countries moving to cancel renewable projects while promoting new gas drilling.
The results are plain to see: major clean energy projects face delays, new investment is drying up, and the fossil fuel industry is being given fresh political support. What was once thought to be an unstoppable global shift toward clean energy is now being forced into retreat within the United States.