Show notes
Allen discusses the halting of Revolution Wind by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). The order comes as part of a larger political motion to stop renewable energy in the US.
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Welcome to Uptime News. Flash Industry News Lightning fast. Your host, Allen Hall, shares the renewable industry news you may have missed.
Allen Hall 2025: There's a man from North Dakota who knows something about pipelines. His name is Doug Bergham, and last Friday, August 22nd, as Secretary of the Interior, he pulled the plug on another big energy project. Bergham ordered a halt to revolution wind. That's an offshore wind farm being built by Osted.
80% complete. 45 wind turbines already spinning in the ocean off the coast of Rhode Island Friday, they stop spinning. Revolution Wind was set to power 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut. But Ham's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said the project needed more Review. [00:01:00] Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee had called Revolution Wind Quote, essential to advancing the state's 100% renewable energy standard by 2033.
Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said The project was quote, a key part of our clean energy strategy to provide families, quote, clean, reliable, and affordable power unquote. Both governors celebrated when revolution wind got federal approval. Now their project sits frozen in the water. Earlier this month, Bergham also canceled a massive wind project in Idaho.
His interior department has vowed a comprehensive review of all wind projects. A review that could halt wind development on all federal land. Now here's what you need to know about Doug Bergham when President Biden canceled the Keystone XL Pipeline back in 2021.
Bergham. Was furious. [00:02:00] He said revoking the permit was wrong for the country. Said it would have chilling effect on private sector investment in much needed infrastructure projects, unquote.
Bergen said, when the federal government stops projects under construction, it hurts working families and discourages future investments. Bergham has always been clear about protecting investors. At a political conference speech in 2023, he laid out his principle quote, if you put capital into a project that's related to fossil fuels, or a project related to critical minerals and mining, if somebody comes along in the future, administration with an executive order, if they want to wipe out what you've invested in.
They've got to write you a check to pay for your lost capital. That was Bergen's rule. If government stops your fossil fuel project, well, government pays you back. That Keystone XL Pipeline would've carried [00:03:00] 830,000 barrels of oil daily through Bergen's home. And Bergham is not alone in his disdain for Wind Energy.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright calls wind and solar, unreliable and worthless commerce. Secretary Howard Lunik launched a national security investigation into wind turbine imports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Once Wind turbines kept at least 1.2 miles from highways. EPA administrator Lee Den is weakening regulations that support renewables.
It's a coordinated government assault on one of America's cheapest forms of electricity. Earlier this year, Bergham also stopped Empire Wind off New York's Coast, $5 billion worth of construction, 30% complete. At the time. He said the Biden administration rushed the approval.
But here's the curious part. [00:04:00] Bergham let Empire Wind restart after New York. Governor Kath Hoel made a deal. She agreed to allow new natural gas pipelines in her state. Suddenly that offshore wind project was acceptable. Again, the financial damage was real though Ecuador. The Norwegian company building Empire Wind reported a $995 million impairment because of regulatory uncertainty in America.
Now Bergham has made his position crystal clear. He signed an official secretary's order calling wind and solar projects gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects that are environmentally damaging. Good grief. Now, here's something interesting about Doug Bergham. He's never worked in the energy industry.
He's never led an energy company, never worked in energy markets. [00:05:00]Bergham made his fortune in software. He built great plain software, sold it to Microsoft for $1.1 billion. Worked at Microsoft for six years, then became a real estate developer and venture capitalist. His energy experience eight years as governor of a coal state.
A state was 780,000 people. Only three states have fewer people than North Dakota, Wyoming, Vermont, and Alaska. Get this software entrepreneur from one of America's least populous states is now making energy policy for 330 million Americans.
Bergham views the nation's 500 million acres of public lands as he calls a financial quote balance sheet for drilling and mining. Bergham says nuclear power can produce 33 megawatts per acre. Offshore wind produces 0.006 megawatts per acre.
That makes nuclear [00:06:00] 5,500 times more efficient than wind. Yeah, sure. . Bergam acts like the entirety of the United States has the population density of Manhattan. America's 2.27 billion acres is mostly open space. You see, Bergham comes from North Dakota. Coal country. His state burns coal to make electricity. He once signed legislation to help the coal industry and said, there are some people in this country who would like to regulate this industry out of business.
I think that's wrongheaded, but here's the numbers. Bergham doesn't mention coal costs. 69 to $71 per megawatt hour to generate power. Onshore wind costs as low as $27 per megawatt hour. Solar power runs as low as $29 per megawatt hour. Both are much cheaper than coal.
Now, Bergham says, stopping wind projects will give Americans reliable energy and lower utility costs. But the [00:07:00] numbers tell a different story. Wind and solar are the cheapest forms of electricity in America today. So here's a man who fought fiercely when a pipeline carrying fossil fuels was canceled.
Called it wrong for America, said it would hurt working families with higher energy prices. But when it comes to wind projects, that would actually lower electricity costs, Bergham wants to shut it down. Bergham is a billionaire. His electricity bill doesn't affect his lifestyle, but his decisions will affect yours.