Trump's Executive Orders Raise Concerns for Electric Vehicles and Wind Power Growth
Advocates warn the orders could hinder progress in two of the fastest-growing climate technologies in the U.S.
On Monday, President Donald Trump issued two executive orders that have raised alarms among climate advocates and experts, as they target the growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and wind power in the U.S.—two of the nation’s fastest-growing climate-friendly technologies.
These orders primarily aimed at reversing efforts made by the Biden administration to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and expand wind power, both of which have been central to the U.S. push to decarbonize its energy market. In addition, Trump announced that the U.S. would exit the Paris Agreement, an international accord aimed at reducing global carbon emissions and limiting climate change.
One of the executive orders reversed several climate-focused measures, including the tailpipe emissions standards that were designed to promote electric vehicle adoption. Trump had long criticized these regulations during his campaign, calling them an "EV mandate" and suggesting that they unfairly pressured consumers to purchase expensive electric vehicles.
Advocates for electric vehicles strongly opposed the move, warning it could undermine the U.S.’s competitiveness in the global car market. Max Boykoff, director of the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research at the University of Colorado Boulder, expressed concern that such actions would lead to missed opportunities. “Other nations will step forward to fill that gap,” Boykoff said. “Chinese companies are already outpacing the American electric vehicle market, and they’re ready to do more.”
In response to a request for comment, the Trump administration had not provided a statement.
The second executive order focused on wind power, temporarily halting federal approvals for offshore wind leases and restricting the issuance of new permits or loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects. Trump argued that wind power increases energy costs and falsely claimed that wind turbines could harm marine life, such as whales. However, there is no scientific evidence linking offshore wind turbines to whale deaths, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Wind power advocates quickly condemned the order. Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, criticized the move, calling it contradictory to Trump's broader energy agenda. “The contradiction between the energy-focused Executive Orders is stark: while one seeks to reduce bureaucracy and boost energy production, the other adds bureaucratic hurdles that harm domestic energy development and American businesses,” Grumet said.
These orders come at a time of significant growth in the adoption of electric vehicles and wind power. In 2023, electric and hybrid vehicles made up a record 20% of new car sales in the U.S., and global projections estimate that by 2030, one in four new passenger cars sold will be electric. Electric car sales have surged sixfold since 2018, according to the International Energy Agency.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has forecasted that solar and wind power will dominate the country’s new energy capacity by 2050. Offshore wind power has already begun to surpass coal in electricity generation in certain months.
Despite these advancements, rising costs and supply chain issues have posed challenges for the wind power industry, and Trump’s executive order is expected to further complicate the sector's growth.
Trump has long targeted wind power, particularly offshore wind projects. He has repeatedly blamed wind turbines for causing whale deaths along the Atlantic coast, even though the majority of documented whale fatalities were attributed to vessel strikes and entanglements in fishing gear. Additionally, Trump has falsely claimed that wind turbines cause cancer, a statement that has been widely debunked by experts.
Environmental groups, including the Environmental Defense Fund and the Sierra Club, warned that Trump’s executive orders could stifle the creation of green jobs, including in states that traditionally lean Republican, such as Georgia.
Zara Ahmed, vice president of policy and advisory operations at Carbon Direct, a carbon management firm, argued that the executive order on electric vehicles represents a short-term political move that could have long-term economic consequences. “It’s a political choice with potential long-term economic harm,” Ahmed said. “However, these regulations will not stop the inevitable shift toward clean technology.”
Additionally, Trump issued another order on Monday that aims to prevent certain states, like California, from setting their own stricter standards for electric vehicle adoption. This includes revoking a federal waiver granted to California, which allowed the state to implement tailpipe pollution standards more stringent than federal requirements. These regulations would ultimately phase out gasoline-powered vehicles from California’s roads by 2032, a move already adopted by other states like Washington and New York.
Paul Cort, a former Environmental Protection Agency attorney now with Earthjustice, expressed confidence that Trump’s order would face legal challenges and likely not hold up in court. “California’s regulations were created to address pollution and air quality issues, not just climate change,” Cort said. “What legal basis is there for saying California can’t clean up its cars?”