President Donald Trump unleashed a sustained attack on wind energy during his recent visit to Scotland, declaring windmills are “killing us” and demanding Europe abandon renewable energy projects that have long irritated him near his golf properties.
The president’s latest anti-windmill campaign reached a crescendo on July 27 during a press conference at his Turnberry golf course, where he announced a trade deal with the European Union. Trump told reporters that windmills were destroying America’s scenic beauty and harming wildlife, while repeating unsubstantiated claims about their impact on marine life.
During the same event, Trump revealed he had spotted wind turbines from his golf course that morning, expressing frustration at seeing nine windmills on the horizon from what he considers the world’s best golf course. The 79-year-old president also revived his theory that offshore wind installations are harming whales, claiming the noise from wind farms is driving marine mammals crazy despite federal agencies finding no scientific evidence supporting this assertion.
Trump has taken his anti-wind stance to extremes in the past. In 2019, he falsely claimed wind turbines cause cancer.
“The wind, the wind, it sounds so wonderful,” he said. “The wind, the wind, the wind is, the wind is ***, I’ll tell you.”
Trump’s animosity toward wind energy traces back more than a decade to his legal battle against an offshore wind farm near his Aberdeen golf course in Scotland. Beginning in 2011, Trump fought the construction of 11 wind turbines near his Menie golf course, arguing they would damage Scotland’s tourism industry and calling them “monstrosities” that would help sink the country’s economy.
The president’s predictions proved incorrect, as Scotland now generates more than half of its electricity from wind power, welcomes nearly two million more tourists than in 2011, and has avoided the economic collapse Trump forecast. Despite losing his court case in 2019 and being ordered to pay the Scottish government’s legal bills, Trump has escalated his rhetoric against renewable energy since returning to the presidency.
The president also suggested that immigration and windmills were Europe’s two biggest problems, warning that the continent must address these issues or cease to exist.
Trump’s presidential actions have matched his rhetoric, as he signed executive orders on his first day in office that paused all federal wind permits in the United States. His administration has also supported legislation that effectively dismantled much of the Inflation Reduction Act, eliminating tax credits that had spurred hundreds of billions of dollars in clean energy investment across the country.
The consequences of Trump’s renewable energy policies extend beyond his personal grievances with Scottish wind farms. Energy experts warn that curtailing clean energy development could force utilities to rely more heavily on fossil fuels, potentially increasing household electricity bills and adding billions of tons of carbon emissions by 2030. The policy reversal also threatens hundreds of thousands of jobs in the renewable energy sector.
During a 2012 appearance before a Scottish parliamentary committee, Trump defended his opposition to wind energy by declaring himself the evidence for his claims. When pressed for data supporting his assertions about tourism damage, Trump stated: “I am the evidence.” He described himself as a world-class tourism expert whose personal judgment should be considered sufficient proof of wind energy’s harmful effects.
Scottish politicians who tangled with Trump over the wind farm issue have expressed concern about the global implications of his presidency. Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Greens, suggested that Trump’s opposition to renewable energy could cause the United States to fall behind in developing future energy technologies, particularly as countries like China make substantial investments in green technology.
Trump’s Scotland visit included meetings with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, as well as the opening of a new golf course named after his mother. The trip combined official diplomatic business with promotion of his personal golf properties, raising questions about the intersection of presidential duties and private business interests.
Federal agencies have repeatedly debunked Trump’s claims about wind energy’s impact on marine life. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Energy have stated there is no scientific evidence linking offshore wind development to whale deaths or other marine mammal fatalities.
Despite Trump’s assertions about wind turbine longevity and recyclability issues, industry data indicates that modern wind turbines typically operate for approximately 30 years and are 90 percent recyclable. The United States currently operates more than 70,000 wind turbines, with wind power representing the largest renewable energy source in the country and generating more than 10 percent of total electricity production.