President Trump officially invited to hear how offshore wind has transformed the Humber after ‘get rid of windmills’ call

In his first week back in The White House, regional organisations Humber Marine and Renewables and Humber Energy Board have jointly written to the 47th President of the USA.

Mr Trump’s view of a sector that is redefining the maritime roles played by Hull and Grimsby has concerned many, with thousands of jobs having been created to support the ever-increasing capacity built out in the near North Sea.

The Humber is home to a global-leading offshore wind operations and maintenance cluster, with the world’s biggest wind farms controlled from it. The huge blade plant in Hull ensures the area plays a key role in manufacturing too.

As widely reported, one of President Trump’s first social media posts of the new year called on the UK to ‘get rid of windmills’ and open up the North Sea for oil and gas exploration. It came after a US firm announced it was exiting the region due to the tax regime and heightening environmental regulations.

Now fresh from his inauguration, and his executive order to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, he is being urged to further his understanding of the renewable industry, either in person or via his Ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley, who has also been invited.

Trade body Humber Marine & Renewables has led on the offer, having initially been asked to respond to his comments on a BBC interview, with the suggestion immediately made that he should attend the organisation’s Offshore Wind Connections 2025 to understand the impact.

The formalisation of the offer has been backed by Humber Energy Board, the organisation working to decarbonise the UK’s most carbon intensive region.

Dave Laister, director of Humber Marine & Renewables, who gave the original Look North interview, said: “The offshore wind industry has reinvigorated the Humber’s maritime sector, bringing back a world-leading status last seen at the height of the distant water fishing fleets, now a distant memory.

“It has brought pride, economic opportunity and inspiration to a coastal area most in need and has also helped put wider decarbonisation of one of the most concentrated industrial clusters in the spotlight.

“We want to explain the huge benefits these ‘windmills’ bring, and where better than at a conference where industry leaders unite.”

Offshore Wind Connections 2025 takes place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Hull on April 30 and May 1. Mr Laister, PR and media director at Hull-based Fred Marketing, hosts it.