Wind power, innovation, and clean communities are smart policy—not security threats

By Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr.

Editor's Note: This past December, the U.S. Department of the Interior, citing unnamed national security risks, announced that it was pausing the leases for large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the U.S. Courts subsequently ruled that all five offshore wind projects halted by the Trump administration can resume construction.

In a controversial move, the Department of the Interior in March refunded $1 billion to Total Energies, the value of its lease fees for offshore wind power projects off North Carolina and New York. In April, the department made separate agreements with Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind to end their U.S. offshore wind leases, in exchange for $900 million. These deals effectively ended four offshore wind power projects.

The companies have said they will make investments in fossil fuel projects, instead.

America’s energy strength has never come from choosing sides. It has come from building, adapting, and leading.

That is why the Trump administration’s decision to suspend multiple offshore wind projects along the East Coast was deeply troubling, not only for clean energy advocates, but for workers, communities, and our national interest.

I represent Louisiana, a state that has powered this country for generations and a state where too many communities live with the consequences of environmental neglect. Our communities deserve clear air and clean water. They deserve to know that economic growth will not come at the expense of their health, their families, or their future.

I have long said that community and industry can co-exist, but only when the health and welfare of communities are the focal points of any expansion.

Environmental justice is not a slogan—it is a responsibility.

Louisiana’s offshore workers, engineers, shipbuilders, and mariners built the oil and gas infrastructure that fuels the American economy. We know energy. We also know that energy security depends on diversity, reliability, and foresight.

Suspending fully permitted offshore wind projects sends the wrong message at the wrong time. It tells workers and investors that the rules can change midstream. It tells communities that long term planning is optional. And it tells the world that America is willing to slow its own progress while others move forward.

Offshore wind is not a threat to American energy independence. It is part of it. These projects have undergone years of federal review, including consultation with the Department of Defense, the Coast Guard, and other agencies. If legitimate security concerns exist, they should be addressed transparently and responsibly, not through open-ended pauses after permits have been granted.

The Gulf of Mexico offers a clear example of what responsible energy development can look like. Our region is uniquely positioned to integrate offshore wind alongside existing energy production. We have the workforce, the ports, the vessels, and the offshore infrastructure to support this next chapter. Offshore wind development in the Gulf would not replace oil and gas jobs. It would build on them, using the same skills Louisiana workers already possess, while reducing harmful emissions that disproportionately impact frontline communities.

This is not an either/or choice. It is a practical, American approach that values workers, communities, and environmental responsibility at the same time. Offshore wind can support grid stability, meet growing electricity demand, and help protect public health by reducing pollution, all while keeping energy production domestic and affordable.

Energy diversity is national security. A resilient grid cannot depend on a single source of power. As electricity demand rises and extreme weather becomes more frequent, we must invest in solutions that strengthen reliability and protect the people who live closest to our energy infrastructure.

Louisiana communities understand the cost of pollution and the cost of delay. We also understand the dignity of work and the importance of fairness. Our energy future must honor all three.

The question before us is not whether America will continue to produce energy. It is whether we will do so in a way that protects communities, respects workers, and keeps our nation competitive.

America has always done its best work when it chose leadership over fear and progress over retreat. We should do so again.

U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, Sr. represents Louisiana’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and is a member of the House Energy Commerce Committee (www.troycarter.house.gov). This guest column was originally published in The Lens (www.thelensnola.org)

Q2 2026