Southeast Asia is a bright spot for the embattled offshore wind industry as it reels from U.S. President Donald Trump’s push against renewable energy.
The White House’s policy pivot has thrown billions of dollars’ worth of U.S. offshore wind projectsinto turmoil. Industry interest and investment are looking elsewhere, and developing regions with ample wind resources, like Southeast Asia, have the most to gain from this likely reshuffling, analysts say.
Wind energy is essential to efforts to curb climate change, scientists say, as global temperatures drift perilously higher. Offshore wind, which uses turbines installed in the sea, is set to grow rapidly because it can harness stronger, steadier ocean winds to generate clean electricity, the International Energy Agency says.
Southeast Asia, with its archipelago nations, long coastlines and consistently windy seas, is emerging as one of the world’s most promising regions for this technology. As energy demand continues to rise, the Philippines and Vietnam are building policy momentum that proponents hope will spur interest across the region.
Those moves could turn Southeast Asia into a model for other developing nations seeking to use wind energy as an alternative to fossil fuels, said Rebecca Williams, with the Global Wind Energy Council.
“Asia and Southeast Asia are a beacon of hope for the industry,” she said.
Trump rattles the offshore wind industry
Trump has actively sought to kill the U.S. offshore wind industry, one of his presidential campaign promises.
He opposes using renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and prioritizes burning fossil fuels for electricity, contending that climate change is a hoax.
The White House has halted construction on major offshore wind farms, revoked and paused permits, canceled plans to use large areas of federal waters for wind energy and cut $679 million in federal funding for a dozen projects — a complete reversal from former President Joe Biden’s Administration.
Trump’s anti-renewable energy stance has shaken U.S. confidence in offshore wind projects.
That has kickstarted an industry-wide search for other places to invest.
Globally, wind energy generation is growing, led by China. It dominates wind power installations and manufactures more than half of the world’s wind turbines. Beijing is also emerging as a quiet force in the region’s offshore wind buildout, supplying turbines and engineering expertise as countries race to tap their coastal wind potential.
“We’re seeing more governments in the Global South, especially in countries in Asia, who haven’t had that background in offshore wind, now really step up,” Williams said.
