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By Shane Croucher and Kate Plummer
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President Donald Trump has criticized the United Kingdom's "costly and unsightly windmills," urging the country to drill for more oil in the North Sea.
Writing on Truth Social on Friday, Trump said: "Our negotiated deal with the United Kingdom is working out well for all. I strongly recommend to them, however, that in order to get their energy costs down, they stop with the costly and unsightly windmills, and incentivize modernized drilling in the North Sea, where large amounts of oil lay waiting to be taken. A century of drilling left, with Aberdeen as the hub.
"The old fashioned tax system disincentivizes drilling, rather than the opposite. U.K.'s Energy Costs would go WAY DOWN, and fast!"
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Why It Matters
Trump's intervention comes after the U.S. and U.K. signed a trade deal earlier in May, reducing tariffs on U.K. vehicles, steel and aluminum if it complies with American security requirements, and opening the British market to more American products including beef and agricultural exports.
In April, U.K. energy secretary Ed Miliband said at a London conference that Britain will find "common ground" with the US on energy and the economy including on nuclear power.
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What To Know
Trump campaigned on expanding fossil fuels for American energy, and has long been skeptical of renewable energy options.
After returning to office in January, Trump declared a national energy emergency and signed an executive order stating that federal wind leasing programs suffered from "various alleged legal deficiencies."
It added that these could result in "negative impacts on navigational safety interests, transportation interests, national security interests, commercial interests, and marine mammals."
In 2023, Trump also falsely claimed at a South Caroline rally that wind turbines had killed a large number of Bald Eagles.
However on Tuesday, Trump lifted a federal ban on the construction of a $5 billion wind farm off the coast of New York. His administration had previously imposed a stop-work order on the project in April, suggesting that the Biden administration had approved it without sufficient environmental analysis
What People Are Saying
When the U.S.-U.K. trade deal was signed, Starmer described the announcement as a meaningful gesture on the anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day.
"To be able to announce this great deal on the same day 80 years forward, almost at the same hour and as we were 80 years ago with the U.K. and the U.S. standing side by side, I think is incredibly important," he said in a call with Trump.
The Department of Energy wrote in April: "The long-awaited nuclear renaissance is right around the corner thanks to President Trump as the Administration works to restore American energy dominance to bring more reliable, secure, and affordable power back to U.S. taxpayers."
James Alexander, CEO of the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF), told Newsweek: "Investors want the UK to prioritize the transition to a green economy, which would unlock hundreds of billions in private investment from around the world, creating jobs and economic growth. Backing new fossil fuel projects now would send the wrong message, with renewables having overtaken oil and gas as the cheaper alternative, and with demand projections changing, too."
He added: "The economic case for pushing ahead with solar, wind power and other clean energy projects has never been stronger."
What Happens Next
The U.K. has not yet responded to Trump's remarks. The British government said in March that it is consulting on plans to put the North Sea at the heart of the country's clean energy future.
"In addition to maintaining existing oil and gas fields, and continuing ongoing domestic production, which have been critical to the UK's energy system and will continue to play an important role for decades to come, the government wants to boost the economy through the expansion of clean technologies, protecting the country's energy security in the process."
Miliband said in March: "The North Sea will be at the heart of Britain's energy future. For decades, its workers, businesses and communities have helped power our country and our world.
"Oil and gas production will continue to play an important role and, as the world embraces the drive to clean energy, the North Sea can power our Plan for Change and clean energy future in the decades ahead."
Update 5/23/25, 10:26 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Alexander.
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