Donald Trump’s latest comments against wind energy have drawn sharp criticism from UK Conservatives, as the US president prepares to visit Scotland. Trump, who has long opposed offshore wind turbines visible from his Scottish golf courses, recently urged the UK to abandon wind power and expand oil drilling. His remarks have reignited a decade-old dispute over a wind farm near his Menie estate in Aberdeenshire.
Trump’s hostility towards renewables dates back to 2011, when he fought a legal battle to block 11 turbines near his golf course, calling them “ugly” and “monstrosities”. Despite losing that case, his opposition has intensified. As president, he has barred wind and solar projects from federal lands and signed legislation that severely curtails clean energy investment, risking hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions in investment.
Critics warn that Trump’s policies could increase US household energy bills and add billions of tonnes of carbon pollution by 2030. Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, who clashed with Trump over the wind farm, said the president’s stance has damaged global climate action. “People will look back at this point as when the US gave up on the dominant energy technologies of the future,” Harvie said.
Despite Trump’s claims that wind turbines harm tourism, Scotland now generates over half its electricity from wind and has seen a rise in visitors since 2011. Trump is expected to meet Prime Minister Keir Starmer during his visit, but his anti-wind rhetoric has already stirred controversy among UK politicians who support renewable energy expansion.
