There were boat rides to see an offshore wind farm — America’s largest — being constructed. An exhibit space greeted attendees with German beer, Danish cuisine, undersea robots, and free novelty socks stamped with wind turbines. But even a black-tie gala held after hours couldn’t lift the dark cloud hanging over this group of U.S. offshore wind professionals.
Two weeks ago, I attended one of the largest offshore wind conferences in America, a surreal experience given that the industry has become a political punching bag for President Donald Trump since he and the Republican Party resumed control of Washington in January. Two of the most popular sessions at the conference, which was organized by the industry group Oceantic Network, were about how to navigate and even appeal to GOP leadership.
It seemed prescient, though I was told it was coincidental, that the event was located in Virginia. It’s the sole Republican-led state actively building an offshore wind project — Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind — and that project seems to be one of few not facing political and legal challenges. At night from my hotel room, I could see the wind farm’s blinking lights on the horizon.
In one session, a spokesperson for the project said that it was 55% complete. He told me later that the company would “bring this in on time,” by the end of 2026.
During another session, John Szoka, CEO of the advocacy group Conservative Energy Network and a former North Carolina state representative who calls himself “the Republican whisperer,” spoke to a packed room of over 100 audience members about how to talk to America’s conservative leaders.
“Most congressmen don’t understand the energy sector. They don’t. They understand ‘drill, baby, drill,’” said Szoka, adding that most leaders are more easily convinced by the argument that offshore wind builds “the supply chain” for America’s manufacturing revival than by appeals about cutting carbon emissions.
Szoka said that when he talks to fellow Republicans about offshore wind, he stresses how the energy source eases load growth issues, especially amid a boom in artificial intelligence and data centers. He also emphasizes how offshore wind can be built much faster than other forms of energy, like nuclear.
And he offered another piece of advice: to embrace Republican rhetoric. Szoka gestured to bumper stickers his group had made and passed out to audience members depicting a wind turbine rising from the sea, a U.S. flag in the sky, and the words “AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE” — one of Trump’s go-to phrases.
“I certainly don’t lead with climate change,” Jennifer Mundt, the assistant secretary of clean energy economic development for the North Carolina Department of Commerce, said during the same panel. “What we will do [with Republicans] is talk about the benefits of building a nascent industry. We talk about the opportunity to revitalize our ports.”
