Union Workers Rally Against Trump's Impact on Wind Industry Jobs
WHO:
The Guardian - Thomas Kilday, a furnace electrician with IBEW Local 99 in Providence, Rhode Island.
The Guardian - Pat Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO.
The Guardian - Will Gonzalez, a construction laborer with Laborers’ Local 385 in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
WHAT:
azcentral.com - The Trump administration is providing nearly $21 million to the Apache Generating Station in Arizona to maintain and update its coal turbine, which is also capable of running on natural gas.
azcentral.com - The Department of Energy announced plans to distribute $425 million to 12 existing coal facilities across the country under the Defense Production Act.
azcentral.com - The Apache Generating Station was previously granted hundreds of millions of dollars to transition to renewable energy and go coal-free by 2028.
azcentral.com - The Cholla coal plant in Arizona has been closed, despite Trump's efforts to keep it operational, and has incurred nearly $2 billion in costs for upgrades and maintenance.
azcentral.com - The Apache Generating Station's coal turbine is 47 years old and has nearly tripled its mercury emissions from 2024 to 2025, according to EPA data.
The Guardian - Trump issued an executive order aiming to halt all wind-energy leases and permits.
The Guardian - The Trump administration attempted to issue stop-work orders on wind projects under construction.
The Guardian - The Trump administration paid more than $2.6 billion in settlements to buy out wind energy leases.
The Guardian - Revolution Wind began delivering power to New England, citing the work of more than 1,000 local union workers.
The Guardian - The Revolution Wind project is expected to power more than 350,000 homes and businesses.
The Guardian - The construction of the Revolution Wind project is over 90% complete.
The Guardian - The Trump administration abandoned an effort to halt all wind projects and leases across the US.
The Guardian - Trump’s Department of Interior completed four deals to cancel wind project leases, paying energy corporations more than $2.6 billion.
WHERE:
The Guardian - Providence, Rhode Island.
The Guardian - Atlantic Ocean (Revolution Wind Project).
The Guardian - California, New York, and Maine (locations of canceled wind projects).
WHEN:
The Guardian - A federal court granted an injunction to block the first stop-work order in September of the previous year.
The Guardian - The Trump administration issued another 90-day stop-work order in December of the previous year.
The Guardian - A second judge issued an injunction in January of the current year.
The Guardian - The Trump administration attempted to halt the Vinyard Wind 1 project in January of the current year.
WHY:
azcentral.com - Energy experts argue that propping up aging coal plants is costly for both ratepayers and the environment, as coal generation has been declining in demand.
The Guardian - Trump has blamed various issues, including national security and environmental concerns, in his campaign against wind farms.
The Guardian - Pat Crowley criticized the Trump administration's policy as damaging to both the environment and American jobs.
HOW:
azcentral.com - The funding for the Apache Generating Station includes a cost-sharing requirement, which the utility is currently discussing with the Department of Energy.
The Guardian - Workers on the Revolution Wind project reside on a vessel at sea and take helicopters to work on the turbines.
The Guardian - The Trump administration's approach prioritizes investments in existing infrastructure and functioning supply chains to create jobs quickly.
(UPDATED July 6, 2026 21:26 UTC)
The Trump administration is allocating nearly $21 million to the Apache Generating Station in Arizona to maintain and update its aging coal turbine, which can also operate on natural gas. This funding is part of a larger initiative by the Department of Energy, which plans to distribute $425 million to twelve existing coal facilities across the country under the Defense Production Act. Despite previous investments aimed at transitioning to renewable energy and a goal to go coal-free by 2028, the Apache Generating Station's coal turbine, now 47 years old, has seen a significant increase in mercury emissions, raising concerns among energy experts about the environmental and financial implications of supporting aging coal plants.
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(UPDATED July 6, 2026 19:35 UTC)
President Trump has issued an executive order aimed at halting all wind-energy leases and permits, while his administration has attempted to stop work on ongoing wind projects and paid over $2.6 billion to buy out wind energy leases. Despite these efforts, the Revolution Wind project, which is over 90% complete, has begun delivering power to New England, thanks to the work of more than 1,000 local union workers, and is expected to power more than 350,000 homes and businesses. Pat Crowley, president of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, criticized Trump's policies as harmful to both the environment and American jobs, highlighting the ongoing tensions between renewable energy initiatives and the administration's stance on energy development.