SerpApi.Org
Minnesota is now part of legal action to jumpstart federal reviews of onshore wind projects. The Department of Defense hit pause on security checks and an independent think tank said it hurts the region's economy.
Last week, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and 18 other attorneys general intervened in a lawsuit against the Department of Defense.
Jake Schwitzer, executive director of North Star Policy Action, said the Pentagon routinely evaluates whether wind turbines could interfere with military radar but the process has stopped under the Trump administration. Schwitzer pointed out so far, four proposed Minnesota projects are affected, costing the state jobs.
"When we're talking about 4,400 Minnesota jobs being lost as a result of this pause, that's 4,400 folks who aren't bringing home a paycheck to put food on the table for their family, who aren't able to save for their own retirement," Schwitzer observed.
Schwitzer's evaluation noted construction jobs are part of the estimate, along with indirect jobs along the supply chain. Schwitzer added the spending power of workers induces jobs in local communities.
President Donald Trump has long been a critic of wind energy and the administration believes moves like these are necessary to address national security threats. States and industry groups joining the legal challenge said until now, the security portion of wind energy permitting was predictable. They accused the secretary of defense under Trump of carrying out an "illegal freeze" of routine reviews.
Schwitzer argued keeping more wind projects from taking off hurts consumers.
"When our electrical grid has fewer options to grow because wind energy is suddenly off the table, that hurts all of us when our electrical prices go up," Schwitzer emphasized.
Schwitzer added the lost construction jobs are well-paying careers because of Minnesota's prevailing wage requirements for large wind energy development and the dip in tax revenue from jobs being put on the shelf is another economic blow. Overall, Schwitzer estimated a $1.6 billion investment loss for the state based on the stalled projects.
