Conservative think tanks with fossil fuel interests are supporting “aggressive” local opposition to offshore wind, according to a new study from researchers at Brown University’s Climate and Development Lab.
The study, published in the journal Energy Research & Social Science, mapped a network of ties between anti-offshore-wind organizations on the East Coast and think tanks such as the Texas Public Policy Foundation and the Heartland Institute. Researchers found that the think tanks share their resources with local groups including rhetorical claims, legal expertise and a network of support.
“When you sort of uncover the network behind it, you see that there are fossil fuel interests that are heavily entrenched in this network,” said William Kattrup, an author of the study and a research lead at the Climate and Development Lab.
The study comes as developers prepare for the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he would end offshore wind “on Day 1.” In recent weeks, TotalEnergies has paused its New York offshore wind project, while German utility RWE said it would hold off on major equipment purchases for a U.S. project while it assesses the political climate.
