Denmark Stands Firm: Backing Ørsted Through U.S. Policy Headwinds

By Matt Tranchin

agosto 11, 2025

6:49 pm

COPENHAGEN — When policy reversals in Washington stalled offshore wind projects and stripped away clean energy subsidies this year, many renewable developers began looking for the exits. Denmark, however, is taking a different path.

The Danish government, which owns a 50.1 percent controlling stake in Ørsted, the world’s largest offshore wind developer, has committed to participating in a multi-billion-dollar capital raise to strengthen the company’s position in the United States. The move reflects a long-term calculation: that the political winds will eventually shift, and the companies that endure will be best placed to lead the next phase of growth.

A Sovereign Stake in the Transition

Ørsted’s U.S. ambitions — including the Ocean Wind project off New Jersey, Revolution Wind between Rhode Island and Connecticut, and Sunrise Wind near Long Island — were intended to showcase Denmark’s green industrial leadership abroad. The Biden administration’s policies had encouraged foreign investment through generous tax credits and accelerated permitting, making the United States one of the most attractive markets for offshore wind.

That dynamic changed sharply after the Trump administration froze federal offshore wind permits, rescinded planned lease areas, and rolled back key subsidies. In August, Ørsted announced a 60 billion Danish kroner, or $9.4 billion, rights issue to stabilize its finances. The Danish finance ministry confirmed it would take part in the raise to preserve its majority stake.

This is not the first time a government has supported a major energy company in turbulent times, but Denmark’s stake in Ørsted places it in a small group of nations willing to put public funds directly into a clean energy developer operating in politically volatile foreign markets.

Resilience as Strategy

While other governments own stakes in renewable energy companies — France in EDF, Italy in Enel Green Power, Sweden in Vattenfall — none combine majority state ownership with heavy U.S. offshore wind exposure. Most have diversified portfolios across multiple regions or focus largely on domestic markets, reducing their vulnerability to a single country’s policy shifts.

Denmark’s position is different. It has a controlling interest in a company that has made large bets on the U.S. market. That gives the state both an advantage — the ability to influence long-term strategy — and a vulnerability when the political environment changes.

A Long Game in the American Market

The United States remains one of the most promising offshore wind markets in the world, with vast untapped potential along its coastlines. Denmark’s decision to maintain its controlling stake is a wager that current policy headwinds are temporary and that staying the course will yield strategic and financial dividends over the long term.

The alternative — scaling back or withdrawing — could mean surrendering hard-won positions in a market that, despite its volatility, is likely to be central to the global clean energy transition. For Denmark, the decision is as much about protecting a national industrial asset as it is about safeguarding the country’s reputation as a climate leader.

An Invitation to Follow Suit

The Danish example underscores a broader point: the clean energy transition will require more than private capital and favorable policy. Governments may need to act as long-term investors, willing to shoulder market and political risk to ensure the stability of key industries.

By standing firm with Ørsted, Denmark is sending a message — to markets, to partners, and to other nations — that climate ambition is not a fair-weather policy. It is a commitment that must be sustained through political cycles and market turbulence alike.

For Denmark, doubling down now is not simply about one company’s fortunes. It is about proving that climate leadership means holding course when the headwinds are strongest.