How the election of Trump changed the outlook on wind energy projects in Southeastern Massachusetts

Tuesday night, Southcoast Wind held a public forum in Somerset, Massachusetts, their latest outreach event to connect with residents in Bristol County to answer questions about their anticipated project at the site of the former Brayton Point Power Plant.

But it was the election of President Donald Trump that was the main topic of conversations at the forum, which took place inside the Fairfield Inn and Suites from 5PM to 8 PM Tuesday night. Advertised as a “drop-in event” the room was filled with marketing detailing the progress of the proposed converter station the company plans to build in town, which will convert energy that is generated from off-shore wind turbines and then connect that energy to the grid.

In attendance, environmental activists from around the state, expressing concerns over the project, including representatives from Green Oceans, the 501(3)c non-profit group that has headlined the fight against the industrialization of New England ocean waters. The group themselves was distributing their own information, including pamphlets and stickers, directing attendees to visit their website to learn more. Green Oceans trustee Charlotte Du Hamel was also in attendance, leading the efforts to get information into the hands of residents attending the forum.

Also in attendance, local activist and Rhode Island fisherman Ken Adams who heads the “Fishermen Against Offshore Wind” group, former Somerset Selectman, Brayton Point resident and environmental activist Kathy Souza who leads the group “Save our Bay Brayton Point” and newly elected State Representative Justin Thurber. Thurber, who beat 24-year incumbent Pat Haddad in last week’s election, will represent residents of the 5th Bristol District when he takes office in January.

Chairman of the Somerset Economic Development Paul Cogley and Somerset Planning Board member Lloyd Mendes were also in attendance.

President Trump has been very vocal in his plans to kill the off-shore wind projects on “day one” of his administration. The Associated Press reports:

“We are going to make sure that that ends on Day 1,” Trump said in a May speech. “I’m going to write it out in an executive order. It’s going to end on Day 1.”

“They destroy everything, they’re horrible, the most expensive energy there is,” Trump said. “They ruin the environment, they kill the birds, they kill the whales.”

Adams says wind energy is useless, “the most unreliable, expensive form of energy that we can possibly have” and when asked how feasible it is that the off-shore wind energy projects can be stopped, he spoke specifically about Trump.

“It’s very possible that he’s going to stop it. I’m hoping he’s going to stop all the leases that haven’t gone through, such as Southcoast Wind.”

Souza says that Trump putting an end to the off-shore wind projects is a “big theory” they have considered and pointed out that Prysmian, the Italian company that planned to manufacture cables to be used to transport energy from the wind turbines off the coast, said they were going to have “shovels in the ground” at the Brayton Point site in 2023 but that it continued to get delayed.

“They don’t have any more permits than they have right now and now it’s after the election. Where’s the purchase and sale agreement? It’s nowhere to be found.” Souza is referring to the intended purchase of 47 acres of the total 302 acres at 1 Brayton Point Road that Prysmian claimed they would be purchasing from property owner, Commercial Development Corporation (CDC).

President Joe Biden visited the site in July of 2022, the former coal burning power plant as a background to his commitment to use his power as President to make changes that would impact the “climate change emergency” the world was facing.

Biden said he would turn his words into “formal, official government actions through the appropriate proclamations, executive orders and regulatory power that a president possesses.”

The failed Harris campaign, however, looks to put an end to that commitment.

Cape Cod resident Heather Swenson drove over an hour out to the Southcoast Wind event Tuesday night because another company, Vineyard Wind, is having offshore wind brought ashore in her town of Centerville.

“I am very concerned how the state is sort of jamming these projects into these communities who have very little say in it.”

Like many others in attendance, she is optimistic that the recent election will stop these projects from moving forward.

“Currently these companies seem to think they are full steam ahead. They have the backing of Maura Healey, unfortunately. She and the Biden Green Deal are just jamming this through towns, they are superseding any town zoning in a lot of instances. I have great hope that perhaps our election may bring some change to that.”

It isn’t just national support for offshore wind that may have waivered. Haddad, the Democrat who Commonwealth Magazine called a “star” of a documentary on wind energy, has only months left in office and will be replaced by Air Force Veteran and Republican, Justin Thurber, who is a supporter of President-elect Trump.

Speaking with Thurber Tuesday evening, Thurber addressed Haddad’s disconnect from residents over the issue of offshore wind:

“I think what has to happen is you have to listen to your residents, and I think that’s part of why I was elected. If I can bridge the gap between a company that is going to be a good business partner with the town, let’s do it. But I’m not going to do it at the expense of the residents and especially, their health.”

Souza says Haddad’s interests in the Brayton Point property have never had the residents and taxpayers in mind. She said her campaign donations show thousands donated by lobbyists and those with financial interests in the site, including donations from owners of the property, CDC, which Haddad was called upon to address just before her last re-election in 2020.

Director for External Affairs from Southcoast Wind, Rebecca Ullman, who facilitated the event, shared her company’s outlook on the future of offshore wind energy in the face of changing administrations.

“Southcoast Wind provides the opportunity of energy security and energy independence and we think that’s attractive proposition for any administration.”

When asked where the company was in the process with the building of the converter station in Somerset, Ullman shared they are on schedule, but when pressed about where in the process the company was, Ullman was not willing to give further details.

“No comment.”