Revolution Wind Stopped by BOEM

Allen discusses the halting of Revolution Wind by the Bureau of
Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The order comes as part of a larger
political motion to stop renewable energy in the US. Sign up now
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show? Email us! Welcome to Uptime News. Flash Industry News
Lightning fast. Your host, Allen Hall, shares the renewable
industry news you may have missed. Allen Hall 2025: There's a
man from North Dakota who knows something about pipelines. His name
is Doug Bergham, and last Friday, August 22nd, as Secretary of the
Interior, he pulled the plug on another big energy project. Bergham
ordered a halt to revolution wind. That's an offshore wind farm
being built by Osted. 80% complete. 45 wind turbines already
spinning in the ocean off the coast of Rhode Island Friday, they
stop spinning. Revolution Wind was set to power 350,000 homes in
Rhode Island and Connecticut. But Ham's Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management said the project needed more
Review. [00:01:00] Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee had
called Revolution Wind Quote, essential to advancing the state's
100% renewable energy standard by 2033. Connecticut Governor Ned
Lamont said The project was quote, a key part of our clean energy
strategy to provide families, quote, clean, reliable, and
affordable power unquote. Both governors celebrated when revolution
wind got federal approval. Now their project sits frozen in the
water. Earlier this month, Bergham also canceled a massive wind
project in Idaho. His interior department has vowed a comprehensive
review of all wind projects. A review that could halt wind
development on all federal land. Now here's what you need to know
about Doug Bergham when President Biden canceled the Keystone XL
Pipeline back in 2021. Bergham. Was
furious. [00:02:00] He said revoking the permit was wrong
for the country. Said it would have chilling effect on private
sector investment in much needed infrastructure projects, unquote.
Bergen said, when the federal government stops projects under
construction, it hurts working families and discourages future
investments. Bergham has always been clear about protecting
investors. At a political conference speech in 2023, he laid out
his principle quote, if you put capital into a project that's
related to fossil fuels, or a project related to critical minerals
and mining, if somebody comes along in the future, administration
with an executive order, if they want to wipe out what you've
invested in. They've got to write you a check to pay for your lost
capital. That was Bergen's rule. If government stops your fossil
fuel project, well, government pays you back. That Keystone XL
Pipeline would've carried [00:03:00] 830,000 barrels of
oil daily through Bergen's home. And Bergham is not alone in his
disdain for Wind Energy. Energy Secretary Chris Wright calls wind
and solar, unreliable and worthless commerce. Secretary Howard
Lunik launched a national security investigation into wind turbine
imports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Once Wind turbines kept
at least 1.2 miles from highways. EPA administrator Lee Den is
weakening regulations that support renewables. It's a coordinated
government assault on one of America's cheapest forms of
electricity. Earlier this year, Bergham also stopped Empire Wind
off New York's Coast, $5 billion worth of construction, 30%
complete. At the time. He said the Biden administration rushed the
approval. But here's the curious part. [00:04:00] Bergham
let Empire Wind restart after New York. Governor Kath Hoel made a
deal. She agreed to allow new natural gas pipelines in her state.
Suddenly that offshore wind project was acceptable. Again, the
financial damage was real though Ecuador. The Norwegian company
building Empire Wind reported a $995 million impairment because of
regulatory uncertainty in America. Now Bergham has made his
position crystal clear. He signed an official secretary's order
calling wind and solar projects gargantuan, unreliable,
intermittent energy projects that are environmentally damaging.
Good grief. Now, here's something interesting about Doug Bergham.
He's never worked in the energy industry. He's never led an energy
company, never worked in energy markets. [00:05:00]Bergham
made his fortune in software. He built great plain software, sold
it to Microsoft for $1.1 billion. Worked at Microsoft for six
years, then became a real estate developer and venture capitalist.
His energy experience eight years as governor of a coal state. A
state was 780,000 people. Only three states have fewer people than
North Dakota, Wyoming, Vermont, and Alaska. Get this software
entrepreneur from one of America's least populous states is now
making energy policy for 330 million Americans. Bergham views the
nation's 500 million acres of public lands as he calls a financial
quote balance sheet for drilling and mining. Bergham says nuclear
power can produce 33 megawatts per acre. Offshore wind produces
0.006 megawatts per acre. That makes
nuclear [00:06:00] 5,500 times more efficient than wind.
Yeah, sure. . Bergam acts like the entirety of the United States
has the population density of Manhattan. America's 2.27 billion
acres is mostly open space. You see, Bergham comes from North
Dakota. Coal country. His state burns coal to make electricity. He
once signed legislation to help the coal industry and said, there
are some people in this country who would like to regulate this
industry out of business. I think that's wrongheaded, but here's
the numbers. Bergham doesn't mention coal costs. 69 to $71 per
megawatt hour to generate power. Onshore wind costs as low as $27
per megawatt hour. Solar power runs as low as $29 per megawatt
hour. Both are much cheaper than coal. Now, Bergham says, stopping
wind projects will give Americans reliable energy and lower utility
costs. But the [00:07:00] numbers tell a different story.
Wind and solar are the cheapest forms of electricity in America
today. So here's a man who fought fiercely when a pipeline carrying
fossil fuels was canceled. Called it wrong for America, said it
would hurt working families with higher energy prices. But when it
comes to wind projects, that would actually lower electricity
costs, Bergham wants to shut it down. Bergham is a billionaire. His
electricity bill doesn't affect his lifestyle, but his decisions
will affect yours.