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States counting on offshore wind worry how the election could impact the industry

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Many Northeast states are counting on offshore wind energy to bring jobs, confront human-driven climate change and help keep the lights on. Construction is underway on several wind farms off the Atlantic coast, but WBUR's Miriam Wasser reports there's anxiety about how the presidential election will affect the young industry.

MIRIAM WASSER, BYLINE: It takes all kinds of people to build an offshore wind farm, like ironworker Rachel Jackson.

(SOUNDBITE OF METAL CLANGING)

RACHEL JACKSON: This is a famous ironworker sound. That's how you know an ironworker's coming - 'cause their wrenches are clacking together.

WASSER: Jackson's preparing for another stint on the water. She picks up the safety harness she'll bring with her.

Can I feel it, how heavy it is?

JACKSON: Yeah, yeah. This is an empty one.

WASSER: Oh, my God (laughter).

JACKSON: But it's different...

WASSER: That's like...

JACKSON: ...Holding it and putting it on.

WASSER: ...Thirty pounds.

Jackson loves the job. It pays well, and she feels like she's working on something important for the planet. But she worries about the future. The Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, says he'll stop the offshore wind industry if he wins.

JACKSON: I do not want him to pull us out of this opportunity because it is work, and it could be something that is beneficial to the environment.

WASSER: Jackson is not the only one concerned about jobs and the environment. Kris Ohleth directs the Special Initiative on Offshore Wind, an independent think tank that supports the industry. She says there's a lot at stake for offshore wind in this election.

KRIS OHLETH: Kamala Harris is a strong proponent of clean energy, you know, versus a candidate who said, quote, "on Day 1," end quote, he will do everything in his power to stop offshore wind.

WASSER: Harris doesn't have a detailed offshore wind platform, but she's expected to continue President Biden's policies to get thousands of turbines up and running by 2030. If Trump wins, experts say it's unlikely he could stop operating wind farms or those under construction, but he could make things difficult for projects still in the pipeline by slow-walking permits or rescinding important clean energy tax credits. Eric Hines leads the offshore wind energy graduate program at Tufts University.

ERIC HINES: We should all fasten our seat belts. You know, there will be more drama to come, just as there has been up to date.

WASSER: Wind developers say they're nervous, but they don't think a second Trump administration would be catastrophic. They point to popular investments in wind manufacturing and ship building, including in conservative states like Louisiana and Texas. Plus, many states in the Northeast need this power. Electricity demand is surging, and offshore wind is probably the only feasible way to meet it without exacerbating climate change.

REBECCA TEPPER: Offshore wind is vital for us to meet our clean energy and climate goals.

WASSER: Rebecca Tepper is Massachusetts' energy secretary. She says even if offshore wind stalls during a second Trump administration, states can still do a lot, like build new transmission lines and plan for future offshore wind projects.

TEPPER: Whether it's Trump or anybody else, we need to keep our eye on the ball and keep trying to move the industry forward in whatever ways that we can.

WASSER: And the industry is moving forward. From Massachusetts to Virginia, turbines are going up in the water. Wind advocate Amber Hewett stands on the deck of a boat 15 miles off the coast of Martha's Vineyard. About two dozen turbines poke out of the ocean like little stick figures. It's the Vineyard Wind project, the country's first large scale offshore wind farm to start construction.

AMBER HEWETT: I feel like we just drove to Europe, like this is a really (laughter) - it's a really inspiring moment for me to see this many offshore wind turbines in U.S. waters.

WASSER: Hewett leads the offshore wind program at the National Wildlife Federation. She says this project shows the industry's momentum.

HEWETT: It's too promising of an opportunity to ever really be stopped in its tracks here.

WASSER: So while she's anxious about the November election, Hewett says the outcome won't make or break the young offshore wind industry.

For NPR News, I'm Miriam Wasser. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.

Miriam Wasser