The United States has mostly stopped developing offshore wind, a technology vehemently opposed by the Trump administration. Five ongoing projects have managed to keep going as a result of federal court rulings against the administration. Meanwhile, the government is offering billions of dollars to recipients of offshore wind leases if they cancel their plans and drill for oil instead.
Around the rest of the world, offshore wind is booming. Global capacity rose by over 9 gigawatts in 2025, up 16%, bringing the total offshore wind capacity to 92 GW. The global total of land-based and offshore wind installations is now nearly 1,300 gigawatts, providing power to nearly 140 countries worldwide.
About half of the global total comes from China, which is building renewable energy at breakneck speed. The UK is also a global leader, especially in offshore wind, where it now has nearly 17 GW of capacity.
Nine EU nations have vowed to build 100 GW of offshore wind to transform the North Sea into the world’s largest clean energy reservoir. Other land-constrained nations like Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Vietnam all have programs to install offshore wind as well.
The industry as a whole has seen extreme volatility, dealing with the chilling effect of the Trump administration’s attacks on it. On the other hand, the Middle East crisis created by the administration that has sent oil prices spiraling upward is only bolstering the case for new investments in offshore wind.
