by Staff Report CTNewsJunkie
HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont joined four other Northeast governors in honoring “the strength, skill, and determination of America’s workers” while calling for the administration of President Donald Trump to uphold all offshore wind permits already granted and allow those projects to proceed.
Lamont and governors Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Kathy Hochul of New York, Dan McKee of Rhode Island and Phil Murphy of New Jersey issued the joint statement on offshore wind on Labor Day.
“From construction sites and factories to ports and power plants, working people are the backbone of our economy and the foundation of our shared prosperity,” the statement read. “Nowhere is that clearer than in the offshore wind industry, where labor is on the front lines.”
Wind turbine blades sit idle in New London, CT, on Aug. 25, 2025. Credit: Brian Scott-Smith / CTNewsJunkie
According to the governors, more than 5,000 workers are directly engaged with building offshore wind projects, with many thousands more manufacturing products across 40 states. Their efforts will “help lead to a new era of U.S. energy independence,” according to the governors.
“These projects represent years of planning, billions of dollars in private investment, and the promise of tens of thousands of additional jobs,” they wrote. “They are revitalizing our ports, strengthening our supply chains, and ensuring that America – not our competitors – leads in clean energy manufacturing and innovation.
The governors wrote efforts to walk back commitment to the projects “jeopardize hardworking families, wasting years of progress and ceding leadership to foreign competitors. Workers, businesses, and communities need certainty, not reversals that would cost tens of thousands of American jobs and critical investment.”
Canceling projects that have already been fully permitted – including some near completion – sends the message to investors that the work can be stopped on a whim, which could lead them to decide to either not finance different projects or impose higher interest rates that would ultimately place a bigger burden on taxpayers, the governors wrote.
The joint statement said offshore wind is central to ensuring the electric grid is reliable and affordable, “but it must be complemented by a diverse mix of resources – including nuclear power, natural gas, hydropower, and other technologies – that together keep our system strong and our energy sources secure.”
They concluded by stating that the projects offer economic security for workers.
“We stand with America’s workers and strongly urge the Trump Administration to keep these projects on track – for our jobs, our families, our competitiveness, our energy security, and our future,” they wrote.