Massive Wind Runner Plane, India Forces Local Manufacturing

Allen discusses Trump's offshore wind cancellations, Dominion
Energy's tariff troubles in Virginia, and India's new wind
manufacturing rules helping Suzlon Energy. He also mentions
Scotland's massive Berwick Bank approval and Colorado company
Radia's ambitious Wind Runner cargo plane project. Sign up now for
Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind
technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard
Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard's StrikeTape
Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show
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YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the
show? Email us! I'm about to tell you about the biggest
airplane you've never heard of. A Colorado company called Radia is
building what could be the world's largest aircraft. They call it
the Wind Runner. And if it is completed it's going to change
everything about clean energy. Mark Lundstrom, an aerospace
engineer from Boulder, has a simple problem to solve. Wind turbines
keep getting bigger and more powerful, but we can't get them where
they need to go. Here's why. Offshore wind farms can use turbine
blades longer than 105m. But land-based turbines? They're stuck at
about 80m. Not because of engineering limits - because of bridges,
tunnels, and highway curves. The turbines are simply too big to get
under bridges, through tunnels, or around curves, Lundstrom
explains. So he's building a monster. The Wind Runner will be three
hundred sixty-five feet long with a two hundred sixty-one foot
wingspan. That's bigger than a Boeing 747. Much bigger. The payload
volume? Twelve times greater than that famous jumbo jet. It'll run
on sustainable aviation fuel and land on dirt strips right inside
wind farms. Radia aims to complete the first Wind Runner in 2028.
By doing this, Lundstrom says, we'll create the path to the
cheapest energy in the world. Keep that plane in mind. Because
everything else I'm about to tell you connects to that story. Now,
let me tell you what's really happening with wind power. It's a
story of global momentum meeting American resistance. President
Trump just canceled plans to develop new offshore wind projects in
federal waters. More than 3.5 million acres had been designated as
wind energy areas. Gone. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is
rescinding all designated wind energy areas. They're ending what
they call speculative wind development. Offshore wind projects
planned for Texas, Louisiana, Maine, New York, California, and
Oregon? Canceled. The Biden administration's five-year schedule to
lease federal offshore tracts? History. But here's the twist. While
America pulls back, the rest of the world doubles down. Just days
after Trump called wind turbines a con job during his visit to
Scotland, the Scottish Government approved the world's biggest
offshore wind farm project. The Berwick Bank project will power six
million homes when finished. Trump said those turbines were some of
the ugliest you've ever seen. Scotland said, "We'll take six
million homes' worth of ugly, thank you very much." The message
from Scotland? We're moving forward with wind power, regardless of
what President Trump thinks. Now here's where policy meets your
pocketbook. Dominion Energy's offshore wind project in Virginia
just got over a $500 million price increase. The culprit? Trump's
new tariffs on imported goods. The project features 176 giant wind
turbines, 27 miles off Virginia Beach. It will power 660,000 homes
next year. But those European Union tariffs, possible additional
Mexican duties, and current taxes on Canadian and Mexican goods?
They're adding up to $640 million to the project cost. Here's the
kicker: Virginia customers will pay between $253 million and $320
million to cover those import taxes. Company chairman Bob Blue says
the project is still the most affordable source of energy for
customers. Even with the tariff hit. Dominion's installation ship -
a $715 million floating giant - arrives this month. First turbine
goes up in September. Virginia ratepayers are learning that trade
wars have a price. And they're paying it. While America debates
wind power, India is seizing control of it. The Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy just introduced strict new rules. Wind turbine
makers must now buy key components from government-approved
domestic vendors only. Blades, towers, generators, gearboxes,
special bearings - all must come from India's approved supplier
list. But there's more. All wind turbine data must stay in India.
No real-time operational data can leave the country. Companies must
set up their control centers and research facilities in India
within one year. The goal? Boost India's domestic wind turbine
manufacturing from 20 gigawatts to 500 gigawatts by 2030. This
helps Indian companies like Suzlon Energy and hurts Chinese
companies like Envision Group. India isn't just buying wind power.
They're taking ownership of the entire supply chain. And that's
paying off already. Suzlon Energy just landed a massive order from
Zelestra India. 381 megawatts of wind power equipment across three
Indian states. 127 wind turbines will provide clean energy for
millions of homes. It's Zelestra's first FDRE project - Firm and
Dispatchable Renewable Energy. That means power you can count on 24
hours a day. Girish Tanti, Suzlon's Vice Chairman, says India's
energy transition is at a pivotal moment. The country is pursuing
reliable, round-the-clock renewable power. This landmark
partnership signals India's shift toward energy independence
through wind power. So here's what we have: America stepping back
while the world steps forward. Trump's administration calls wind
and solar unreliable, foreign-controlled energy sources. They're
betting on oil, gas, and coal. Meanwhile, India is building
domestic wind manufacturing. Scotland is approving massive offshore
projects. And a Colorado company is building the world's biggest
cargo plane to make land-based wind farms more efficient. The Wind
Runner isn't just about moving turbine blades. It's about moving
the entire clean energy industry forward while America watches from
the sidelines. Mark Lundstrom in Boulder thinks he can create the
cheapest energy in the world. Trump in Washington thinks wind power
is a con job. Only one of them is going to be right. Seventeen
state attorneys general are suing to challenge Trump's wind energy
halt. The Sierra Club says the administration is obstructing
affordable, reliable energy for everyday Americans. But Robin
Shaffer of Protect Our Coast New Jersey applauds the
administration. He says these projects are too expensive compared
to cheap onshore power. The wind industry faces strong headwinds
from the current administration. But the rest of the world? They're
catching wind. That Wind Runner cargo plane launching in 2028 might
be carrying more than just turbine blades. It might be carrying
America's energy future to countries that want it more than we do.