U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has instructed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to investigate possible health and economic effects of offshore wind farms, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The directive is part of a broader Trump administration initiative to review offshore wind development — a sector that former President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised — according to the report.
Bloomberg said the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), led by Kennedy, directed the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in late summer to conduct research into how offshore wind projects might affect the fishing industry.
The outlet also reported that Kennedy met with NIOSH director John Howard to discuss the study and identified outside experts for the agency to consult.
“Work on this report has been halted solely due to the Democrat-led government shutdown,” an HHS spokesperson told Reuters.
Bloomberg said the office of the U.S. surgeon general has also been involved in the initiative, and the department had aimed to complete the study within a few months before the shutdown disrupted progress.
The move adds to a series of reviews ordered by the administration targeting offshore wind development, which industry groups have argued is critical to meeting U.S. clean energy goals.
