Steve Cortes, president and founder of the League of American Workers, said that wind energy projects harm wildlife and waste resources for political gain. This statement was made during the Blown Away documentary.
"These windmills, they're giant," said Cortes. "They're disgustingly ugly. They are bad for the environment, especially animals. They are one gigantic expensive scam."
The expansion of wind energy projects in the United States has become politically contentious, particularly under the Trump administration's renewed term in 2025. According to Reuters, the administration initially froze federal approvals for wind projects, leading to lawsuits from 17 states and Washington D.C., which argued that this move threatened jobs and emissions goals. Offshore efforts like the Empire Wind project near New York were briefly halted but later permitted after negotiations. This situation highlights growing tension between federal oversight and state-led renewable ambitions.
As of late 2024, the U.S. had over 153 gigawatts of installed wind power capacity, making onshore wind the nation’s fourth-largest energy source. According to Windfair, Texas leads with 40,500 megawatts and over 16,000 turbines, accounting for 28% of U.S. wind generation. The sector added 6.5 gigawatts in 2024 alone, demonstrating resilience despite federal regulatory pauses and rising material costs.
Wind energy’s environmental footprint is among the lowest of all power sources. As reported by the National Institutes of Health, life cycle emissions from wind are 36% to 85% lower than coal and 32% to 72% lower than natural gas, even when accounting for carbon capture. These findings support wind’s central role in climate mitigation strategies compared to other energy options.
Cortes is a former financial trader and conservative commentator who served as a senior adviser to Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns. According to Keynote Speakers, he also led Hispanic outreach for Trump and has appeared on Fox News, CNN, and CNBC. He now heads the League of American Workers, focusing on U.S. labor issues and nationalistic economic policies.
