Offshore wind developers are turning to lobbyists with ties to President Donald Trump to help stave off his attacks.
The Norwegian oil giant Equinor retained former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt’s new lobbying firm after its 54-turbine project off Long Island was halted temporarily earlier this year by the department Bernhardt used to run.
Ørsted, the Danish wind developer whose $6 billion project off New England was stopped for a month, recently hired Nick Iarossi, a Trump fundraiser and lobbyist at BRG Government Affairs. And Avangrid Inc. turned to Carlos Trujillo, the founder of Continental Strategy who served as Trump’s ambassador to the Organization of American States during the president’s firm term.
The moves make offshore wind the latest industry to turn to lobbyists with connections to Trump. Iarossi and Trujillo are among a wave of Florida-based lobbyists who moved to Washington after Trump won reelection last year. Bernhardt played a key role overseeing offshore wind in Trump’s first term.
