Tehran (Gazbonyan) – The Guardian, in an article by its U.S. environment correspondent Oliver Milman, has explored the dimensions of Donald Trump’s long-running war on renewable energy policies, triggered once again during his recent trip to Scotland.
Milman recalls that Trump’s feud with clean energy first began with a dispute over wind turbines in Scotland. What seemed like a local quarrel has since escalated into a global confrontation, posing a serious threat to the clean energy sector both in the United States and worldwide.
From Scottish Golf Courses to the White House: Trump’s War on Wind Power
Trump’s hostility toward renewable energy first became public 14 years ago when he objected to offshore wind turbines visible from his Scottish golf course. What started as an apparently trivial clash has grown into a personal vendetta with global consequences.
Now, as he revisits Scotland, Trump continues to leverage his presidency to undermine clean energy—a move with profound implications for climate change and America’s global standing.
During his trip, Trump plans to visit his Turnberry and Aberdeenshire golf resorts, near which he spent years trying to block the installation of 11 offshore wind turbines.
Back in 2011, Trump—then a reality TV star and real estate mogul—described the turbines as “ugly monsters” that would destroy Scotland’s tourism industry.
Trump’s Decisions and Their Impact on Climate and Economy
Although Trump ultimately lost his legal battle against the Scottish wind farm, his deep animosity toward renewable energy persisted, later shaping U.S. energy policy with global repercussions.
As president, Trump declared wind and solar projects unwelcome, blocking their development on federal lands and signing a sweeping spending bill that slashed support for a young industry—one with the potential to transform America’s economy while curbing dangerous climate pollution.
Shortly before signing what he called a “big, beautiful” bill—designed to heavily restrict new clean energy projects—Trump declared:
“I don’t want wind turbines ruining our landscapes.
I don’t want those solar panels stretching for miles, covering half a mountain, and looking terrible.”
Wind Turbines: “Ugly Monsters” or the Bright Future of Energy?
Ahead of his new trip to Scotland and a meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump urged Britain to increase oil production and abandon wind power.
“They should get rid of the turbines and bring oil back,” Trump said. “Wind turbines really hurt the beauty of Scotland and anywhere else they’re built.”
When asked for evidence, Trump responded in his typical fashion:
“I am the evidence. I’m recognized worldwide as an expert in tourism.
When you ask ‘Where’s the evidence?’ I say, ‘I am the evidence.’”
The High Cost of One Man’s Opposition
The economic and environmental cost of Trump’s vendetta is enormous. Backed by a Republican-controlled Congress, hundreds of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in clean energy and electric vehicle investment risk being wiped out. One labor union called the legislation “the biggest job-killing bill in U.S. history.”
American households will also see soaring electricity bills, as utilities are forced to rely more heavily on gas and coal. Analysts project an additional 7 billion tons of carbon emissions by 2030 as a direct consequence.
Scientists warn the world must rapidly slash greenhouse gas emissions to avoid catastrophic impacts of climate change, including deadly heatwaves, floods, droughts, and food insecurity.
A Tale of Two Paths: Scotland’s Renewable Growth vs. America’s Retreat
Scotland now generates more than half of its electricity from wind. In 2024, it produced 113% of its electricity needs from renewables—an all-time record that underscores wind’s dominant role in the country’s energy mix.
The Seagreen offshore wind farm alone has a 1,075 MW capacity, enough to power 1.6 million homes—about two-thirds of Scotland’s population. Scotland’s installed wind capacity ranks among the most advanced in the world, with further expansion planned by 2030.
In the U.S., renewable energy growth has been rapid—over 90% of new power capacity added last year came from wind, solar, and batteries.
Yet China is racing ahead. Already the world’s largest emitter, it is massively expanding wind and solar. By 2035, China is projected to install about 4,660 GW of solar and 860 GW of wind—nearly 15 times more than the U.S. forecast. Beijing has also reached its goal of making half of all new car sales electric a decade earlier than planned.
The divergence between the two superpowers could not be clearer: while the U.S. backtracks, China is seizing leadership in the global green energy race.
Reactions at Home and Abroad
Fossil fuel industries, long major donors to Trump’s campaigns, have reaped rewards as he repealed environmental regulations and opened new lands for drilling. Meanwhile, clean energy projects face a flood of new permits and restrictions under Trump’s executive orders to end subsidies for foreign-controlled energy.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk, once an advisor to Trump, blasted this approach as “totally insane and destructive,” arguing it props up the industries of the past at the expense of those of the future.
Gina McCarthy, senior climate advisor to President Biden, called Republican support for cutting clean energy “bizarre,” while labeling Trump’s behavior dictatorial.
In Scotland, Patrick Harvie, co-leader of the Scottish Green Party, said Trump’s grudge against renewables remains “hard to comprehend,” noting it is “at odds with the views of the vast majority of the Scottish people.”
