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MemoMemorandumTrump 47 · R Quiet signal

Presidential Memorandum

Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government's Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects

This memorandum withdraws all Outer Continental Shelf areas from offshore wind energy leasing indefinitely starting January 21, 2025, while explicitly preserving oil, gas, and mineral leasing rights. It also halts all new or renewed federal approvals, permits, and leases for both onshore and offshore wind projects pending a comprehensive interagency review of environmental and economic impacts, places a specific moratorium on the Lava Ridge Wind Project, and mandates assessment of decommissioning costs for idle wind turbines.

Federal Register Open PDF 90 FR 8363

Impact dates

  1. Comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices to be completed (pending)

  2. Report on defunct/idle windmill removal to President

  3. Report on existing wind lease termination/amendment options to President

  4. OCS wind leasing withdrawal takes effect

Market exposure

Policy exposure mapping — not investment advice. Illustrative public companies are incomplete and not recommendations.

Sectors

Oil & gasOther industrial

Mechanisms

Ban / prohibitionLicensing

Role pressure

  • ProtectiveDomestic producer — Oil and gas leasing explicitly excluded from OCS withdrawal, preserving access while competitors blocked
  • AdverseProject developer — Offshore wind developers lose all OCS leasing access indefinitely; onshore developers face permit freeze
  • AdverseDownstream manufacturer — Wind turbine and component suppliers face demand collapse from project pipeline freeze
  • AdverseEquipment supplier — Wind energy equipment manufacturers face order cancellations and market exit pressure

Geographies

USEUCNOTHER

Exposure dates

  • — OCS wind leasing withdrawal takes effect

Illustrative public companies

Curated watchlist matches by sector/role — incomplete; not a recommendation.

MMM3MAAPLAppleCATCaterpillarLNGCheniere EnergyCVXChevronCOPConocoPhillipsXOMExxon MobilFCXFreeport-McMoRanGEVGE VernovaHONHoneywellSHELShellSLBSLBSPYSPDR S&P 500 ETFTSLATesla

Confidence: high · Policy alerts

Key directives

  • Withdraw all OCS areas from wind energy leasing effective January 21, 2025 until revoked
  • Extend existing wind energy lease withdrawals from January 21, 2025 until revoked
  • Halt all new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore and offshore wind projects pending comprehensive review
  • Secretary of Interior to lead assessment in consultation with Treasury, Agriculture, Commerce/NOAA, Energy, and EPA
  • Interior to review existing OCS wind leases with Attorney General consultation and report to President on termination/amendment options
  • Place temporary moratorium on Lava Ridge Wind Project activities and rights under December 5, 2024 ROD
  • Interior, Energy, and EPA to assess environmental impact and removal costs of defunct/idle windmills and report to President
  • Attorney General may notify courts and seek stays of pending wind-related litigation

Who is ordered

Timeline

Immediate

  • OCS wind leasing withdrawal takes effect January 21, 2025
  • All new/renewed wind permits and leases halted
  • Lava Ridge Wind Project activities suspended
  • Attorney General authorized to seek litigation stays

Near term (90d)

  • Comprehensive assessment of federal wind leasing and permitting practices to be led by Interior
  • Review of existing OCS wind leases for termination/amendment
  • Report on defunct/idle windmill removal to be delivered

Long term

  • Potential permanent termination or amendment of existing wind leases
  • Possible restructuring of federal wind energy policy
  • Indefinite duration of OCS withdrawal until memorandum revoked

Risks & tensions

  • Explicit carve-out for oil/gas/mineral leasing while blocking wind may face legal challenge under arbitrary and capricious standard
  • Indefinite 'until revoked' duration lacks temporal limit, creating investment uncertainty
  • Retroactive review of existing leases risks breach of contract and takings claims
  • NEPA review adequacy cited as rationale but document itself does not conduct new NEPA analysis
  • Lava Ridge moratorium singles out specific private entity, raising potential due process concerns
  • Intermittency and subsidy critique signals policy preference for dispatchable generation
  • Litigation stay requests could affect multiple pending court cases across jurisdictions
Presidential Memorandum: Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government's Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects · Executive Orders