One day after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders at the White House, and not long after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, President Donald Trump turned his attention to a familiar target: windmills in New Jersey.
On the morning of August 19, Trump shared a post on Truth Social, declaring, “STUPID AND UGLY WINDMILLS ARE KILLING NEW JERSEY. Energy prices up 28% this year, and not enough electricity to take care of state. STOP THE WINDMILLS!”
Trump’s disdain for wind energy is well-documented and has often been linked to his business interests. He owns a golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and has frequently criticized turbines for ruining scenic views.
Windmills in Jersey: a closer look
Golfing aside, the president’s post comes as New Jersey, under Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, has pursued an aggressive clean energy agenda.
While New Jersey residents have indeed seen significant energy price increases of between 17% and 20% this year, the reasons are more complex than Trump’s post suggests. The primary drivers are a surge in electricity demand from new AI data centers, electric vehicles, and crypto mining. It’s unclear where Trump got the 28% figure.
Energy analysts and grid operators, such as PJM Interconnection, which manages the grid for New Jersey and other states, have confirmed that the main issue is not wind turbines themselves, but a supply-demand imbalance.
Many older fossil fuel plants have been retired, creating a supply gap. At the same time, the transition to renewable sources has been slowed by delays in connecting new projects—including wind and solar—to the grid, a process that can take years.
Public opposition to offshore wind in New Jersey has also grown, with concerns about aesthetics, environmental impact, and cost. So, Trump’s post mirrors some of these concerns and his long-standing criticism of turbines as “ugly” and environmentally harmful.
Energy analysts caution, however, that the main drivers of rising prices are supply-demand imbalances and fossil fuel dependency, not windmills.
Trump and wind: a troubled history
Also notable, Trump has a long history of making misleading claims about wind energy. In 2019, he suggested that the noise from wind turbines could cause cancer, a claim the American Cancer Society has dismissed as scientifically baseless. He has also referred to wind energy as a “con job” and called it inefficient.
The president has also claimed that wind turbines kill birds and whales. While some bird deaths occur, studies show that turbines account for a small fraction of total bird fatalities, far fewer than those caused by cats or buildings.
Furthermore, there is no established causal link between offshore wind projects and the increased number of whale deaths observed along the East Coast.
According to Euronews, studies indicate that onshore wind is one of the most affordable sources of electricity, and offshore wind is becoming increasingly cost-competitive. Despite Trump’s repeated criticisms, the general public support for wind energy remains strong.
Published: Aug 19, 2025 01:47 pm