{"id":719057,"date":"2026-01-25T04:57:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-25T04:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/719057\/"},"modified":"2026-01-25T04:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T04:57:13","slug":"europe-commits-to-wind-energy-expansion-despite-trump-criticism-draft-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/719057\/","title":{"rendered":"Europe commits to wind energy expansion despite Trump criticism, draft shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Item 1 of 2 An aerial view shows wind turbines at the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm, off the coast of the Guerande peninsula in western France, October 2, 2025. REUTERS\/Stephane Mahe\/File Photo<\/p>\n<p><b data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__medium__2Rl30 text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__ultra_small_body__WelUC primary-gallery-module__pagination__3IXiB\">[1\/2]<\/b>An aerial view shows wind turbines at the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm, off the coast of the Guerande peninsula in western France, October 2, 2025. REUTERS\/Stephane Mahe\/File Photo <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersconnect.com\/item\/the-saint-nazaire-offshore-wind-farm-off-the-coast-of-western-france\/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjU6bmV3c21sX1JDMlEzSEFYWVQ5UA%3D%3D\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76 collapsible-caption-module__license__CPQvV\">Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab<\/a><\/p>\n<p>BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) &#8211; European governments including Germany, Britain and Denmark will reinforce their plans to massively expand wind power projects on Monday, despite U.S. President Donald Trump stepping up criticism of their green energy agenda, a draft declaration due to be signed by government leaders showed.<\/p>\n<p>Trump has been openly critical of European countries&#8217; efforts to shift to low-carbon energy. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, he described wind turbines as &#8220;losers&#8221; and said, without providing evidence, that the more wind turbines a country has, the more money that country loses.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"promo-box\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body-module__promo-box__hVl8h\"> Sign up  <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/climate-energy\/europe-commits-wind-energy-expansion-despite-trump-criticism-draft-shows-2026-01-23\/undefined?location=article-paragraph&amp;redirectUrl=%2Fsustainability%2Fclimate-energy%2Feurope-commits-wind-energy-expansion-despite-trump-criticism-draft-shows-2026-01-23%2F\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>At a summit in Hamburg, Germany, on Monday, nine European governments will commit to accelerate the expansion of offshore wind power through large-scale, cross-border projects, to hit their overall target for 300 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity by 2050, according to a draft summit declaration, seen by Reuters.<\/p>\n<p>Britain and the participating EU countries will pledge to meet up to 100 GW of this goal via joint cross-border projects, said the declaration, which would also be signed by Belgium, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Norway.<\/p>\n<p>Expanding offshore renewable energy &#8220;will contribute to promoting a stable, secure and affordable energy supply, drive local value creation, strengthen our industries and competitiveness, increase our strategic autonomy and generate jobs,&#8221; the draft said.<\/p>\n<p>Factors including higher costs of capital and components have led to failed wind farm auctions in several North Sea countries.<\/p>\n<p>The joint declaration said the governments would also step up their efforts to increase financing for wind projects, potentially including through guarantees from the EU budget, and subsidy frameworks like &#8220;contracts for difference&#8221; which ensure a power plant receives a steady revenue stream when it is up and running.<\/p>\n<p>Wind and solar power <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/climate-energy\/wind-solar-overtake-fossil-fuels-eu-power-supply-2026-01-21\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">produced more<\/a> electricity than fossil fuels in the EU for the first time last year, indicating the bloc&#8217;s continued shift towards low-carbon energy despite resistance from some governments.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"SignOff\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__extra_small__8Buss body-module__full_width__kCIGb body-module__extra_small_body__Bfz20 sign-off-module__text__LQAMP\">Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Susan Fenton<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"Body\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body-module__element__5eCce article-body-module__trust-badge__5mS3f\">Our Standards: <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thomsonreuters.com\/en\/about-us\/trust-principles.html\" rel=\"noopener\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__medium__2Rl30 text-module__small__sph8i link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersagency.com\/en\/licensereuterscontent\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" target=\"_blank\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"button-module__link__A3sD0 button-module__secondary__70gBu button-module__round__QDFgq button-module__w_auto__Sem-F\" data-testid=\"LicenceContentButton\" rel=\"noopener\">Purchase Licensing Rights<\/a><a data-testid=\"AuthorBioImageLink\" class=\"author-bio-module__author-image__jcaG3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/authors\/kate-abnett\/\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" tabindex=\"-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"Body\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__extra_small__8Buss body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__extra_small_body__Bfz20 author-bio-module__description__9ynkB\">Kate Abnett covers EU climate and energy policy in Brussels, reporting on Europe\u2019s green transition and how climate change is affecting people and ecosystems across the EU. Other areas of coverage include international climate diplomacy. Before joining Reuters, Kate covered emissions and energy markets for Argus Media in London. She is part of the teams whose reporting on Europe\u2019s energy crisis won two Reuters journalist of the year awards in 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Item 1 of 2 An aerial view shows wind turbines at the Saint-Nazaire offshore wind farm, off the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":719058,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3843],"tags":[124884,25029,204999,84749,18648,81850,168743,213662,202702,202037,202420,208368,120873,12920,205969,35,205970,205971,205199,165980,728,2000,84751,84752,3671,99594,2732,124880,28771,124881,7900,214745,202119,124887,43296,19773,127513,108623,124882,67726,207095,209194,202044,208362,214742,209190,214741,168742,208364,209195,208351,202560,70,89253,208355,208354,205197,208353,16,15,978,124883,84750,214743,214744],"class_list":{"0":"post-719057","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-amers","9":"tag-be","10":"tag-blux","11":"tag-ceeu","12":"tag-com","13":"tag-de","14":"tag-destlita","15":"tag-destocap","16":"tag-destoukbsm","17":"tag-destouktpm","18":"tag-destousesg","19":"tag-destousnrg","20":"tag-dip","21":"tag-emea","22":"tag-ener","23":"tag-energy","24":"tag-enff","25":"tag-eng","26":"tag-enr","27":"tag-env","28":"tag-environment","29":"tag-eu","30":"tag-europ","31":"tag-ezc","32":"tag-fin","33":"tag-fr","34":"tag-gb","35":"tag-gen","36":"tag-ie","37":"tag-intag","38":"tag-legal","39":"tag-lu","40":"tag-mtpix","41":"tag-namer","42":"tag-nl","43":"tag-no","44":"tag-nord","45":"tag-nrg","46":"tag-pol","47":"tag-potus","48":"tag-pwr","49":"tag-pwrgen","50":"tag-pxp","51":"tag-rene","52":"tag-renq","53":"tag-repigrid-infrastructure","54":"tag-repiwind","55":"tag-reuters-legal","56":"tag-rnw","57":"tag-rnwpwr","58":"tag-rsbiclean-energy","59":"tag-scandv","60":"tag-science","61":"tag-sustainable-business","62":"tag-topicenergy-power","63":"tag-topicenergy-transition","64":"tag-topicmarkets-commodities-energy","65":"tag-topicsustasinability-the-switch","66":"tag-uk","67":"tag-united-kingdom","68":"tag-us","69":"tag-wash","70":"tag-weu","71":"tag-winpwr","72":"tag-wndsys"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719057","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=719057"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/719057\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/719058"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=719057"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=719057"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=719057"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}