US government finds new excuse to stop construction of offshore wind

DrewW

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,018
Subscriptor++
I'd be perfectly fine with annexation by Denmark at this point.
I worked for a Danish headquartered startup before. They fed us breakfast and lunch, the insurance was great, they have a hell of a social safety net, and the pork in Denmark was excellent. I’d also vote to let Massachusetts join Denmark.

GDPR, sane politics, and better public transportation would just be icing on the lukefisk.

Edit for typo
 
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98 (99 / -1)

RZetopan

Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius
8,184
I wonder if tech bros will push back on this, they need power at all costs.
Not a problem. They simply declare a national emergency and take power from consumer's homes. Let them heat their homes and cook with coal. A double win! /S (for the incurably dense)
 
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jtkooch

Ars Tribunus Militum
2,044
The national security concerns are BS. All of these projects are reviewed by the DoD during the development phase, and that review is not a rubber stamp. It has led to projects off the coast of North Carolina being canceled. The Pentagon has no problem interfering with civilian projects if it even sniffs a risk to its ability to defend and operate.

Notably, Poland has offshore wind projects despite sharing a coastline with Russia in the Baltic Sea. In Poland, offshore developers conduct exercises with NATO and Polish military forces to ensure projects do not interfere with the country’s ability to defend against the very real and very palpable threat from Russia. The idea that the US could somehow be hindered in protecting its own shores is laughable.
 
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132 (132 / 0)
It's another case where the battle of the Tech Bros (more electricity now!) and the haters, cranks, kooks and weirdos Trump accumulates like barnacles is being won by the latter.

This feels like a prize given to RFK Jr - the Kennedys have been famously anti-offshore wind - but who knows in the morass of grifters that infest this administration like remoras.
 
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Chuckstar

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Is there a GoFundMe to help Denmark do all of this? Because I… er… a friend would love to chip in a few bucks.

Meanwhile, I’m trying to get in touch with the Brain, to find out what his plans are for once he’s taken over the world. I’m willing to consider helping him. (Truth be told, I’m willing to consider helping Pinky at this point.)
Isn’t Pinky already in charge of the U.S.? Narf!
 
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I wonder if tech bros will push back on this, they need power at all costs.

No problem now that Truth Social has become a Nuclear Fusion company. It can just build reactors for them. Or the bros can just put all the data centers they say they're going to build in 2026 in space - maybe even powered by Truth Social reactors.

Nobody knows more about plasma physics than Trump and his sons.
 
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RZetopan

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it's classified because of the national security risks related to letting the world know how stupid our president is.
Yes, because the big flashing red sign at the WH saying "We are all incompetent vengeful morons here" just isn't all that clear enough for the saner parts of the world. As if, anyone, anywhere does not yet know these "leaders" are total idiots, because they have only shot off 9 of their 10 toes. /S
 
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Grimer11

Wise, Aged Ars Veteran
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Uh huh.

This comes right after trumps social media company is joining with a nuclear company.

Wind and solar are being blocked because trump and republicans personally profit off ruining American power generation.
I've been trying to figure out any kind of actual, real, intelligent justification for NOT diversifying our power generation capabilities as a nation. You know, trying to find the 'why' behind all the vitriol Republicans aim toward renewables. The advantages that come from advancing technology and spreading out the generation of electricity through as many channels as possible are enormous. And the disadvantages are .... well as far as I can tell there literally are NO disadvantages.

So unfortunately, I believe the only logical conclusion is the one you've drawn. What a sad reality.
 
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58 (59 / -1)
I wonder if tech bros will push back on this, they need power at all costs.
While there was a time (and still is in some places) where rank and file at some tech companies cared and wanted to make positive change in the world, these execs never did. They'll jump on the dirtiest coal and puff it straight into the vents of the nearest preschool if it means some tax breaks and Trump admin approval of their acquisitions.
 
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graylshaped

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It’s unclear whether this classified evaluation differs significantly from earlier efforts in any way other than that it will be harder to find out.
The administration is unable to comment on ongoing criminal investigations while these acts of corruption and influence peddling are still in progress...
 
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Unspecified risks

What are these risks? The Interior Department is being extremely coy. It notes that offshore wind turbines can interfere with radar sensing, but that’s been known for a while. In announcing the decision, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum also noted “the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies.” But the announcement says that the Defense Department analysis is classified, meaning nobody is likely to know what the actual reason is—presuming one exists. The classification will also make it far more challenging to contest this decision in court.
Easy - Trump has been pushing a pseudo resurgence in oil production and forcing everyone back into an office which in turn forces people to drive more or take more public transportation which in turn props up the oil industry at both ends. And Wind and solar and any other non-oil based energy sources cuts deep into any profits he and his cronies may be enjoying. Trump always and only ever does what is to benefit Trump. So if oil alternatives are being shuttered - oil is being propped up.
 
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MilanKraft

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6,921
Someone needs to inform the gop that China is beating us in the wind energy race.
"Mr. President, can confirm that Jina is winning wind bigly right now. We can't afford to be seen as weak on Jina, sir!"


But seriously I'm pretty sure the "classified secret" is that we plan to become by far the world's largest oil driller and exporter (we already crossed the exporter threshold a few years ago), and can't be distracted with these pesky wind things. No doubt they'll try to rally niche lib support on the east coast by mentioning the "deaths of countless sea birds and migrating whales caused by wind turbines" bringing them to the brink of extinction.... and since we don't do Endangered Species lists anymore, we won't know till it's too late! Save the Seagulls!!"
 
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I've been trying to figure out any kind of actual, real, intelligent justification for NOT diversifying our power generation capabilities as a nation. You know, trying to find the 'why' behind all the vitriol Republicans aim toward renewables. The advantages that come from advancing technology and spreading out the generation of electricity through as many channels as possible are enormous. And the disadvantages are .... well as far as I can tell there literally are NO disadvantages.

So unfortunately, I believe the only logical conclusion is the one you've drawn. What a sad reality.
Yep. It's the same reason our train system sucks. Doing anything about it is a direct threat against the rail tri/quad poly's profits.
 
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21 (21 / 0)
Yeah. What happens if we get in a war with Denmark and then one of our warships accidentally runs into a wind turbine, and because of that, we lose the war and Denmark annexes Massachusetts? That would be unacceptable, thus offshore wind turbines are a national security risk and must be banned.
"Unacceptable" because Denmark should try for all of New England -- then at least they wouldn't have to deal with this asshole.
 
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While there was a time (and still is in some places) where rank and file at some tech companies cared and wanted to make positive change in the world, these execs never did. They'll jump on the dirtiest coal and puff it straight into the vents of the nearest preschool if it means some tax breaks and Trump admin approval of their acquisitions.
I'm just waiting for the article where Trump rescends the Asbestos ban and companies start cranking it out again.
 
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ColdWetDog

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14,402
My god. Nobody let China know about this. Whatever would we do should our adversaries learn that defeating our radars only required putting wind turbines on their ships...
It could be all over! Like that time Erusea attacked, oh wait... maybe that was Ace Combat...
Sails. We're going back to the age of sail. I've always like those ships, very pretty.

And the US Navy could probably build a Constitution (the first one) class ship. As opposed to everything else north of a Boston Whaler they seem to have problems with these days.
 
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Stuart Frasier

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No problem now that Truth Social has become a Nuclear Fusion company. It can just build reactors for them. Or the bros can just put all the data centers they say they're going to build in 2026 in space - maybe even powered by Truth Social reactors.

Nobody knows more about plasma physics than Trump and his sons.
It appears the grifters got grifted here. Truth Social apparently is putting $200M into a black hole of a company that is unlikely to ever generate a watt (or a dollar).
 
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RZetopan

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8,184
I'm impressed it took this long. Trump has had a chip on his shoulder about offshore wind turbines ever since Scotland built some by one of his golf courses. I guess he is feeling less restricted by rule of law these days.

[trimmed]
He has NEVER been restricted by the laws. Racial discrimination in the 1970s, bankrupting over 100 contractors by not paying them the amounts on signed contracts in the 1980s, laundering Russian Mob and Saudi Arabian money in his tower, laundering criminal money in Panama, grifting with his fake charities and fake universities, grifting with his $TRUMP cryptocoIns, NFTS, golden tennis shoes, fake expensive watches, made in China $3 bibles, etc. The criminal list is nearly endless, and it grows longer on a daily basis. His idiot cult followers are unable to detect any of this, and they are sufficiently moronic to even contribute money towards his obvious grifts.
 
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llama-lime

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View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSxihhBzCjk


"I just want to say one word to you. One word. Are you listening? Coal."

There is a serious case to be made that the USSR's lack of plastics and semiconductor technology was a contributor to the downfall of the empire.

There is a lesson there for the US's current attachment to "heavy industry" of yesteryear rather than adopting more efficient, economical, and scalable energy systems.
 
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