More cuts to “wasteful wind”, refocus on trad energy, infrastructure, maritime restoration. Will RI pivot?

Where possible, funding will be used to invest in real infrastructure, restoring American maritime dominance

And with that overall goal, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy released an additional funding decision that will impact Rhode Island and other states.

Duffy says the US DOT will withdraw or terminate a total of $679 million in funding for “12 doomed offshore wind projects across America. This action will ensure federal dollars are prioritized towards restoring America’s maritime dominance and preventing waste.”

The Port of Davisville expansion, previously approved in November, will see this impact, though it has the opportunity to refocus along the new national agenda including shipbuilding, strengthening infrastructure, and restoring maritime dominance. In the April 9th President Trump issued an Executive Order on restoring America’s maritime dominance – noting “It is the policy of the United States to revitalize and rebuild domestic maritime industries and workforce to promote national security and economic prosperity”. The new policy offers broad opportunity for a uniquely positioned Rhode Island, albeit with serious implications of putting such a singular priority on supporting offshore wind.

The statement, in its entirety:

“Wasteful, wind projects are using resources that could otherwise go towards revitalizing America’s maritime industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg bent over backwards to use transportation dollars for their Green New Scam agenda while ignoring the dire needs of our shipbuilding industry. Thanks to President Trump, we are prioritizing real infrastructure improvements over fantasy wind projects that cost much and offer little.”

The Trump Administration has refocused the Department of Transportation (USDOT) and its Maritime Administration (MARAD) on rebuilding America’s shipbuilding capacity, unleashing more reliable, traditional forms of energy, and utilizing the nation’s bountiful natural resources to unleash American energy.

Where possible, funding from these projects will be recompeted to address critical port upgrades and other core infrastructure needs of the United States.

Additional Information:

As part of the Department of Transportation’s review of all discretionary grant programs with obligated and unobligated projects, USDOT identified 12 offshore wind grants and project selections that were not aligned with the goals and priorities of the administration.

USDOT has withdrawn one project in the Nationally Significant Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) program, resulting in a total retraction of roughly $427 million.
MARAD has withdrawn six projects and terminated five within its Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), resulting in a total retraction of $177 million and roughly $75 million, respectively.

Withdrawn

• Sparrows Point Steel Marshalling Port Project (PIDP; $47,392,500)
• Bridgeport Port Authority Operations and Maintenance Wind Port Project (PIDP;$10,530,000)
• Wind Port at Paulsboro (PIDP; $20,494,025)
• Arthur Kill Terminal (PIDP; $48,008,231)
• Gateway Upgrades for Access, Resiliency & Development at the Port of Davisville Project (PIDP; $11,250,000)
• Norfolk Offshore Wind Logistics Port (PIDP; $39,265,000)
• Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind (INFRA; $426,719,810)

Terminated

• Redwood Marine Terminal Project Planning (PIDP; $8,672,986)
• Salem Wind Port Project (PIDP; $33,835,953)
• Lake Erie Renewable Energy Resilience Project (PIDP; $11,051,586)
• Radio Island Rail Improvements in Support of Offshore Wind (PIDP; $1,679,604)
• PMT Offshore Wind Development (PIDP; $20,000,000)

Read opportunities for Rhode Island and “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance – HERE

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