The Trump administration has rescinded more than 3.5 million acres of designated wind energy areas nationwide, effectively ending a years-long effort to generate wind energy off the Southern Oregon Coast. The US Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the move on Wednesday, citing a Trump administration executive order and a memorandum aimed at ending offshore wind production.
The decision affects nearly 195,000 acres off the Southern Oregon coast, a significant blow to the state’s renewable energy goals. A years-long effort to designate two locations off the coast of Coos Bay and Brookings was ultimately unsuccessful due to opposition from residents, fishermen, and tribes.
While the rescission doesn’t preclude offshore wind development in the future, it may take time for new efforts to get underway. Oregon lawmakers have passed a bill directing the state’s Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) to develop an offshore wind energy roadmap, which aims to provide guidelines for future developments. The roadmap is expected to be completed by mid-2026.
According to Jeff Burright, coordinator with the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development, the decision does not preclude offshore wind development indefinitely, but rather means that BOEM needs to restart the siting process to identify areas of least conflict. The roadmap will outline a process that includes robust engagement with communities impacted by development, extensive economic and environmental research, and workforce development.
Source: https://www.opb.org/article/2025/07/30/oregon-wind-energy-wea-development-coos-bay-brookings