President Trump just ran into criticism from Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt over his elimination of wind energy projects across the U.S.
“You cannot weaponize these things and just for political purposes put your thumb on the scale,” Stitt said while speaking at Semafor’s “Powering America’s Future” event reported Oklahoma Watch.
“It’s very disappointing,” Stitt told Semafor’s Ben Smith when asked about the administration’s efforts to kill wind projects, like a nearly-finished project in Rhode Island and Connecticut. “That just looks like politics when you’re canceling those.”
(Click here for video of his comments)
The administration’s cancellation of the wind projects wasn’t the only criticism that Stitt had for what’s happened to energy projects in the U.S. The governor also had some pointed words for the Obama and Biden administrations over the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline, adding that Americans are “generally frustrated” with the uncertainty surrounding energy projects as administrations change from one to the next.
“I think most Americans … they’re so frustrated with the pendulum swinging from one side to another,” he said, reported Semafor.
Stitt said he has raised the issue of wind projects in conversations with Energy Secretary Chris Wright. “We’ve got to be agnostic on these issues,” he continued.
The governor commented following a federal judge’s decision this week against the President’s order, claiming it was unlawful. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris ruled in a lawsuit brought by 17 states.
Trump’s wind order would have affected Oklahoma, a state with more than 50 separate wind farms. The order was one of the President’s earliest executive orders and it canceled wind energy projects throughout the nation. It included the cancellation of offshore wind projects and the issuance of new leases.
He issued the order January 20 which prompted New York Attorney General Letitia James to lead the lawsuit arguing the ban created an “existential threat to the wind industry.”
Click here for Oklahoma Watch