Tell Secretary Burgum to Stand Up for Wind Energy
- rabinelliott
- Apr 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 15
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Offshore wind power has a growing share in the U.S. electricity market and is an important source of climate-friendly, abundant, and inexpensive energy. Yet President Trump is vehemently opposed to it and is misusing his executive power to cripple offshore wind development. At Passover, powerful winds parted the red sea, helping liberate the Jewish people from slavery. In our time, wind power literally frees us from polluting fossil fuels. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is a key player in ultimately deciding how offshore leases and permitting move forward. Tell him that you support offshore wind energy, which can free us from dependence on fossil fuels.
Background
Wind power is generated when wind turbines collect and convert the kinetic energy that wind produces into electricity to help power the grid that delivers electricity to consumers. In the U.S, wind power generating capacity has increased substantially over the last 25 years, growing from 2.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2000 to 150.1 GW in April 2024. Wind currently represents about 11% of total U.S. power generation and has many advantages. It creates good paying jobs, creates economic growth, is a clean and renewable energy source, is cost-effective and contributes to U.S. energy security.
Why Now
On Inauguration Day, President Trump issued an executive order to undermine offshore wind projects. The order removes all areas of the Outer Continental Shelf from any new or renewed wind energy leasing. It puts existing offshore wind leases at risk of being terminated or amended. New offshore wind projects are suspended until a comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices is complete. There’s no clear timeline for when this may occur.
The executive order is already having a chilling effect on the industry. Just this month, the Environmental Protection Agency pulled a permit for the Atlantic Shores project, citing President Donald Trump’s order. His order also jeopardizes proposed projects on the East Coast that have not yet secured permits. These projects, if realized, would provide enough combined power for more than 12 million homes in the U.S.
Jewish Perspectives
The Hebrew word ruach רוח —wind, breath, spirit—moves through the Torah as a force of transformation. In Genesis 1:2, the ruach of the Creator hovers over the deep, ushering in Creation. In Exodus 10:13, an east wind drives in and out the plague of locusts and parts the Sea of Reeds, (Exodus 14:21) clearing a dry path to freedom before crashing back to wash away oppression.
At Pesach, we celebrate this parting of the sea as a symbol of liberation—a sea change. Today, we must summon that same spirit to part ways with fossil fuels. A just, sustainable future is within reach, but we must clear the path. Through bold climate policy, we can harness the power of ruach—the wind, the breath of life—to move forward.
Learn More
Wind Energy Basics, U.S. Department of Energy
Trumps broadside against wind industry puts projects that could power millions of homes at risk, www.cnbc.com
Sample Message to Secretary Burgum
I urge you to support offshore wind projects because they benefit the climate, the economy, and U.S. energy security.
At the Passover holiday in April, Jews remember their exodus from the land of slavery to freedom. Today, our society is beholden to burning fossil fuels and the greatest hope for our future lies in renewable energy sources such as wind power. I personally care because….insert your own personal Jewish connection or story.
How to Contact Secretary Burgum
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