Is the dream of a clean energy future slipping away? A powerful wave of resistance against renewable energy is building, and it could derail the progress we've made. Leading the charge? None other than former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Two of Europe's foremost pioneers in wind turbine technology, Henrik Stiesdal and Andrew Garrad – often called the "Godfathers of Wind" – are sounding the alarm. They believe this growing opposition, with Trump as its most visible figure, poses a grave threat to the global energy transition. But here's where it gets controversial... Is Trump simply an outlier, or does he represent a deeper, more widespread skepticism about renewables?
Stiesdal, a Dane, and Garrad, a Brit, recently received the prestigious 2024 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering (check it out: https://qeprize.org/winners/wind-power). This award recognizes their groundbreaking contributions to wind turbine design, manufacturing, and deployment, which have significantly boosted the world's electricity production. Stiesdal spearheaded the turbine design for the world's inaugural offshore wind farm. Garrad, on the other hand, developed the BLADED computational design tool, a game-changer that allows engineers to simulate turbine systems and accurately predict their performance. Think of it like a sophisticated weather forecast, but for wind turbines!
After dedicating four decades to advancing wind energy, Stiesdal and Garrad now fear that this shift in perception, particularly towards offshore wind, could severely hinder the adoption of clean energy technologies. "This sort of change is a very dangerous thing," warns Stiesdal.
"Trump is symptomatic. I mean an extreme symptom of that, but you can see it I think in all Western countries certainly, perhaps not elsewhere,” Garrad told CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/12/godfathers-of-wind-raise-alarm-amid-trumps-attacks-on-renewables.html) just before receiving the Queen Elizabeth Prize from King Charles III. And this is the part most people miss: this isn't just about one person's opinion; it reflects a broader trend.
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Trump's stance is clear. He has consistently criticized wind energy, reversed or eliminated many Biden-era renewable energy incentives, and openly disapproved of other countries' energy policies, including the UK's. He has repeatedly urged the UK to incentivize oil and gas production and to "get rid of" wind farms, as reported by Oilprice.com (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Trump-Slams-UKs-North-Sea-Energy-Policy-Again.html).
At the UN General Assembly, Trump launched a full-scale attack on clean energy (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Trump-Attacks-Clean-Energy-in-Mammoth-UN-Speech.html), calling climate change "the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world." He dismissed renewable energy as ineffective, costly, and a financial burden, labeling it a "joke". He even described windmills as "pathetic and so bad, so expensive to operate," deeming them "the most expensive energy ever conceived."
Garrad emphasizes that the backlash against wind energy extends beyond just wind power. "To do this sort of change is a very dangerous thing. And I think it has shown that this is a political business," he told CNBC. "It’s a personal decision by a politician, who happens to be a rather powerful one — and it has sent shockwaves around the place." Garrad believes the renewable energy industry is now confronting a widespread change in sentiment that demands attention.
However, the challenges aren't solely political. The unfavorable regulatory landscape in Washington is a significant obstacle, but soaring costs, supply chain bottlenecks, high interest rates, power curtailments (limiting production due to grid constraints), and mismatches between grid availability and capacity are also contributing to the headwinds facing wind and solar energy.
Ørsted, the world's largest offshore wind developer, has become a prime example of the regulatory and structural issues plaguing the wind energy sector. The company recently completed a massive $9.35 billion rights issue (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/rsted-Raises-93-Billion-in-Discounted-Share-Sale-Backed-by-Danish-State.html) to address immediate financing needs amid regulatory uncertainties in the U.S., following attempts by the Trump Administration to halt work (https://oilprice.com/Company-News/rsted-Pushes-Ahead-With-DKK-60-Billion-Rights-Issue-Despite-US-Setback.html) on a nearly completed project off the East Coast.
Faced with these challenges, Ørsted announced plans last month to slash its workforce by 2,000 positions by 2027, eliminating a quarter of its current roles (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/rsted-to-Cut-2000-Jobs-by-2027-in-Strategic-Shift.html).
These regulatory shifts, combined with cost inflation and high interest rates, have significantly impacted the economics of offshore wind projects over the past three years. Even before 2022, the economics weren't stellar, but European oil and gas giants initially invested in renewables as part of their net-zero commitments and plans to reduce oil production. However, this shift was short-lived. Energy security quickly became a higher priority for every country than sustainability. As a result, Big Oil abandoned ambitious renewable energy targets and returned to their core business: pumping oil and gas to ensure global energy supply.
Shell's recent exit from two offshore wind power projects in Scotland (https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Shell-Abandons-Two-Major-UK-Offshore-Wind-Projects.html) exemplifies this trend. Major oil and gas firms are scaling back their investments and involvement in renewable energy, refocusing on their core oil and gas operations (https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Big-Oil-Rethinks-Renewable-Investments.html). The pivot was fueled by the energy crisis, which highlighted the importance of energy security and affordability over sustainability, while high interest rates and supply chain issues further diminished the already modest returns from clean energy projects, making many new ventures uncompetitive.
The most competitive projects are still moving forward, especially in regions with supportive policies, such as China and Europe. While enthusiasm may have waned in Europe, the need for domestically generated electricity, independent of gas imports, continues to drive clean energy development.
The renewable energy industry must now find a middle ground between overly zealous proponents and those who dismiss it as "pathetic." It's about finding a sustainable path forward, balancing environmental concerns with economic realities. What do you think? Is the backlash against renewables justified, or is it a dangerous step backward? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
