Green tech leaders have warned a Donald Trump presidency could decimate the US offshore wind industry, slow the roll out of electric vehicles and imperil the country’s efforts to become a renewable energy superpower that can compete with China.
With polls showing the former president running neck and neck with Kamala Harris in the race for the White House, industry and climate groups are stepping up their efforts to boost the vice-president’s prospects by hosting donor events, financing advertising campaigns and speaking out about political risks to the sector.
“There is a very good chance that he’ll try to just kill the industry and try to shut things down and maybe even revoke permits,” said Christopher MacRae Ham, manager of offshore wind at energyRe, which is co-developing a large wind project off the New Jersey coastline with Invenergy, the country’s largest private renewables developer.