Connecticut Governor Talks Suspension of Wind Farm Leases

Summary

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Bloomberg Talks: Connecticut Governor Talks Suspension of Wind Farm Leases

Guest: Governor Ned Lamont (Connecticut)
Date: December 23, 2025
Duration (content): ~00:25–09:48

Episode Overview

Governor Ned Lamont joins Bloomberg to discuss the federal government's decision to suspend permits for five major wind farm projects, including Connecticut’s nearly finished Revolution Wind facility. Lamont delves into the suspension's impact on energy costs, state planning, and broader political and economic implications, expressing deep frustration with what he characterizes as erratic federal policy and questioning the legitimacy of cited national security concerns.

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Key Discussion Points

1. Immediate Impact of Wind Farm Permit Suspension

• Project Scope: The Revolution Wind project is 85% complete, intended to power 350,000 homes in Connecticut and Rhode Island.
• Shock to the System: Lamont describes the permit pause as a sudden blow, comparing it to a "Grinch" stealing Christmas (00:25–00:51).
  • Quote: “Not a heck of a Christmas present, was it?” – Lamont (00:51)
• Energy Costs: Without the wind farm, electricity bills are more likely to spike, particularly during cold periods due to limited generation capacity (02:44).
  • Quote: “The wind farm, more likely to spike [bills]. We can't put pipes in the ground to get natural gas and oil… Offshore wind is one way we can do that.” – Lamont (02:44)

2. Federal Justification and National Security Cited

• Past Legal Wins: Connecticut had recently overturned a moratorium on wind power in court (01:31).
• Administration’s Rationale: The Trump administration cited new national security concerns from the Department of Interior, suggesting potential interference with radar (01:55).
• Governor’s View: Lamont casts doubt on these concerns, noting rigorous federal and bipartisan congressional review was already completed (05:09).
  • Quote: “I think the president said I don’t like wind power. Come up with another way that… you can shut it down… But don’t stop us in mid construction.” – Lamont (01:55)
  • Quote: “Willing to give them the benefit of the doubt… but there's no excuse for shutting this down in mid stride, not in the ninth inning of the ball game.” – Lamont (05:32)
• Pattern of Shifting Justifications:
  • Previously “birds and whales” were cited, this time “radar”; Lamont expresses frustration with a never-ending list of new reasons (06:32).
  • Quote: “Last time around it was birds and whales. This time around it's radar. I don't know what it's going to be next time.” – Lamont (06:32)

3. Political Contradictions and State-Federal Tensions

• Federal Inconsistency: The administration is removing barriers for other energy sources while blocking wind. Lamont finds this logic inconsistent, especially since New England has limited self-generation capabilities (04:03).
  • Quote: “Don’t hold the plug on a plant that’s already 85% complete, ready to turn on in just a few months. That makes no sense at all.” – Lamont (04:03)
• Unpredictability for Business: Lamont criticizes the administration’s erratic regulatory approach, saying it makes planning and investment extremely difficult for states and businesses (06:32).
  • Quote: “This hurricane jerky, on again, off again... makes it very difficult to do business with this administration.” – Lamont (06:32)

4. Broader State Challenges: Affordability, Aid, and Preparing for Rate Rises

• Addressing Gaps: Connecticut has set aside $500 million to shield the most vulnerable residents from rising costs—both in energy and as federal subsidies (like SNAP, health exchanges) come under threat (07:20).
  • Quote: “We've set aside, you know, $500 million, just at least protect the most vulnerable.” – Lamont (07:20)
• No Advance Warning: Lamont says the decision was sudden; governors did not receive advance notice (08:15).
  • Quote: “This really came out of left field at the very last moment...” – Lamont (08:15)
• Looking Ahead: Without the wind project, ratepayers should prepare for possible sharp increases, especially in winter (09:35).
  • Quote: “I can tell you that it's going to go up and it could go up dramatically during very cold times when wind power is generating the most and we're going to have a spike in energy demand. That's what I'm trying to protect you from.” – Lamont (09:35)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On sudden policy reversals:
  • “This was a real shock to our system… For the second time in three months, you're just blowing a hole in our efforts to bring down the price of electricity in New England.” – Lamont (00:51, 01:55)
• On national security claim:
  • “Actually, it went through a very strong national security review over the last few years, voted on on a bipartisan basis in Congress just a year and a half ago…” – Lamont (05:09)
• On unpredictability for business and policy:
  • “This hurricane jerky, on again, off again … makes it very difficult to do business with this administration. Very difficult.” – Lamont (06:32)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:25–01:31 – Introduction; Governor Lamont’s reaction to the permit halt, impact on New England energy landscape.
• 01:31–01:55 – Legal backdrop; administration’s new national security rationale.
• 02:32–03:13 – Local impact on bills and state capacity for energy generation.
• 04:03–04:36 – Contradictions in federal energy policy.
• 04:36–05:58 – Lamont’s skepticism of the national security argument.
• 06:32–07:00 – Critique of administrative unpredictability for business.
• 07:20–07:59 – State mitigation efforts for residents.
• 08:15–08:39 – Suddenness and lack of federal warning.
• 08:59–09:35 – Outlook for ratepayers; need for more generation.

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Summary

Governor Ned Lamont delivers a candid and forceful critique of the Trump administration’s suspensions of wind farm permits. He stresses the urgency of increasing local energy generation to safeguard consumers against rising electricity costs, particularly during high-demand periods. Lamont challenges the shifting justifications for halting the project, frames the moves as economically damaging and politically inconsistent, and assures Connecticut residents of his administration’s ongoing commitment to affordability and energy security. For businesses and citizens alike, he projects frustration over an unpredictable regulatory environment and warns of higher costs ahead without immediate policy change.

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End of summary

Transcript

[Indiana University Announcer]

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[Bloomberg Host]

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[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Projects representing $28 billion in committed capital, several billion of those in the state of Connecticut, which is why we're glad to be joined by the governor of Connecticut, Democrat Ned Lamont. It's great to have you, sir, with us on Bloomberg TV and radio. If in fact this is halted here. The mayor of New London, Michael Pissero, says the Grinch has just stolen Christmas. Is he right?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

Not a heck of a Christmas present, was it? Look, you just heard the president say he doesn't like wind power, but he's not going to interrupt things that were permitted a long time ago. Our win Revolution win was actually permitted under Trump 1 back in 2018, 19. So a long time ago. So this was a real shock to our system. They did it to us over Labor Day as well. Remember, they had a stop work order, no warning at all. This time they pulled the permits and we've got to quite like heck to come back because you're never going to bring down the price of electricity in New England unless we get more generation. And that's what wind power does.

[Bloomberg Host]

Governor, in September, your state successfully won its bid in courts to lift the moratorium that the Trump administration put in when it first took office on wind power. Now the administration is going at it again and raising national security concerns. Some analysts are looking at that and saying this could be a more durable way to essentially do the same thing. What's your take and do you think those national security concerns are legitimate?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

No, I think the president said I don't like wind power. Come up with another way that I, that you can shut it down. And it was only very recently they came up with these national security concerns. I talked to the Secretary of Interior, Doug Burglum, I've known for many years. I said, I'm not sure this is for you, but if you want to, we'll come down, we'll talk to you about it. We'll bring down the folks building the wind power, the engineers, but don't stop us in mid construction. For the second time in three months, you're just blowing a hole in our efforts to bring down the price of electricity in New England.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

You know, we understand that this project is about 85% complete. It would power some 350,000 homes across Connecticut and Rhode Island. What will happen to electricity bills without.

[Governor Ned Lamont]

The wind farm, more likely to spike. We can't put pipes in the ground to get natural gas and oil. We're just not that type of a state. We don't have that capacity. It's very rare that we can create our own generation. Offshore wind is one way we can do that. And the more generation we have, the less spiking energy during very cold periods. And that means we can save money for electric ratepayers.

[Bloomberg Host]

We want to welcome our viewers joining us from the TV side, Bloomberg TV colleagues. And we are here with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont talking, of course about this new announcement out of the Department of Energy today, putting a halt on those five major wind farm projects, including the one that's being assembled in your state. Governor, I'm curious how this is going to play with constituents not only in your state but across the country as energy prices are expensive, it's cold and they're looking to spike. You know, the energy crisis is something that's constantly talked about. This is also an administration that is trying to remove barriers to other forms of energy, including nuclear. The president has said he wants to restart coal, so why not add wind energy to that? Why is this specific mechanism of generating power in his crosshairs?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

It is contradictory. I've talked to the president about this. He cares very strongly about bringing down the price of electricity, especially in New England where we don't have a lot of our own generation and it gets expensive. I said we'll work with you on a nuclear power, work with you on natural gas and other sources, but don't hold the plug on a plant that's already 85% complete, ready to turn on in just a few months. That makes no sense at all. I thought we had an agreement they weren't going to do that. Then we were shocked.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

All right. Well, I want to get back to the justification from the administration here, Governor. And I know you commented on this briefly, but I'd like to hear more about the national security concerns or lack thereof, knowing that the Interior Department says these turbines may interfere with radar systems. We understand. However, according to the attorney general, William Tong, the project's already gone through federal review. He says fully vetted, permitted state, federal, up and down, inside out, every which way you can. Is that correct?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

William's absolutely correct. And actually it went through a very strong national security review over the last few years, voted on on a bipartisan basis in Congress just a year and a half ago where they said is.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

The administration just making this security issues Is the administration just making this up then?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

I think so. But look, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Get us down there. We'll bring the very best engineers from Worstead, who's the developer will talk it through. But there's no excuse for shutting this down in mid stride, not in the ninth inning of the ball game. Look, they're seeing drones has changed the world dramatically. They want to take a second look at, you know, onshore radar. It didn't change the world in the last, you know, 12 months.

[Bloomberg Host]

Also, this is not to a point you made earlier. This is not a new technology. These wind turbines have existed in Europe much to the president's chagrin, for quite a few years now. We haven't previously heard of it having big impacts on NATO or Europe's military readiness and offshore areas there. We've also got some reporting from Bloomberg and analyst at Raymond James saying I'm skeptical that there's any new information about the military concerns all of a sudden that single handedly warrants these projects being halted. So do you think this is an aesthetic, not necessarily an economic or national security.

[Governor Ned Lamont]

Do? I mean, last time around it was birds and whales. This time around it's radar. I don't know what it's going to be next time. I got to tell you, I come out of the business world, I thought the Trump administration had a lot of business folks and it was going to be a pro business administration. But this hurricane jerky, on again, off again. First they did in tariffs, then they did it in snap, now they're doing wind power. Makes it very difficult to do business with this administration. Very difficult.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Well, I'd like to hear more about that. Just from your view in Connecticut, you mentioned snap. We can add Obamacare subsidies that are about to expire, sending people's bills higher. How much are you and other governors working to fill affordability gaps that are being created by the administration?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

I can tell you here in Connecticut we've set Aside, you know, $500 million, just at least protect the most vulnerable. But the idea that you were going to yank food support from working families when food prices have almost doubled in the last five years made no sense then as you pointed out, when it comes to the health care subsidies on the exchange, people are going to see their bills go up one or $2,000. That's a heck of a Christmas present. And that's a real shock to the system. So we made sure that we protected all of our families up to about 128,000 then we softened the blow for everybody else.

[Bloomberg Host]

Governor, you said you've been talking to the Trump administration throughout this process and about this decision, how they were treating it previously. I'm wondering, did you get any kind of a heads up? Have you spoken to the president since this decision came down? And if not, what do you want to tell him?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

Well, this really came out of left field at the very last moment. We had had a conference call, all the governors with Secretaries Bergman. Right. Just a couple of weeks ago talking about pipelines and natural gas. This did not come up at all. Like I said, I think this was a problem, a solution, looking for a problem, and it's the wrong solution.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Just lastly then, Governor, what would you tell people driving to work today in Putnam, Connecticut, who are already looking at expensive electric bills? They're worried about the data center that might be coming in next door. Do they need to brace for higher prices and what will they look like in 2026?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

Well, we're seeing a pause on data centers just because they suck so much electricity and drive up costs. But one of the things we need is more generation. I think those ratepayers in Putnam know all too well that we're doing everything we can to add more electricity generation, bring down costs for you and your family, and pulling the plug on Revolution win in the ninth inning makes no sense at all.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

Well, this is something that we're going to keep talking about here. It sounds like you might not have a sense or be able to quantify how much those bills are going to rise. Governor, is that fair to say?

[Governor Ned Lamont]

I can tell you that it's going to go up and it could go up dramatically during very cold times when wind power is generating the most and we're going to have a spike in energy demand. That's what I'm trying to protect you from.

[Bloomberg Interviewer]

I hear you. And right when heating oil season kicks in in New England. Governor, it's great to have you. We appreciate your insights today on Bloomberg. Joining us live from Connecticut, that's Democratic Governor Ned Lamont with us.

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