On Friday’s edition of Chicago’s Morning Answer, guest host Jim Iuorio and co-host Amy Jacobson were joined by political commentator and energy advocate Steve Cortes to discuss his new short documentary Blown Away. The film, which premiered on X (formerly Twitter), takes a critical look at wind energy projects in the United States, focusing particularly on a massive wind farm under development in New Mexico.
Cortes, a former Trump campaign advisor and founder of the League of American Workers, called wind power “a scam” during the interview and said it is neither clean nor affordable. He argued that because wind is an intermittent power source, it requires full backup from fossil fuels—particularly natural gas—making it inefficient and unnecessarily expensive. “You need complete redundancy,” Cortes said. “And that drives costs through the roof.”
He also criticized the aesthetics of large wind turbines, which he said are “hideously ugly” and mar natural landscapes across the country, including rural Illinois and ocean views off the East Coast. “If you love nature, you revolt against this,” Cortes said, suggesting that visual pollution is helping turn public opinion against large-scale wind projects.
In Blown Away, Cortes juxtaposes wind farms with the abundant fossil fuel reserves beneath New Mexico, including natural gas, which he called a cleaner, safer, and more reliable energy source. He emphasized that natural gas can be transported via pipelines without significant energy loss, unlike wind energy, which requires massive transmission infrastructure to reach cities.
The film also includes interviews with figures like Myron Lizer, the former Vice President of the Navajo Nation, who argues for tribal sovereignty in resource development. Lizer, who previously spoke at the Republican National Convention, told Cortes that Native communities want responsible industry and energy jobs—but not at the expense of being exploited or ignored by federal policymakers.
Cortes said the documentary was partly inspired by scenes from the television show Land Man, which highlighted the carbon footprint required to build and maintain wind turbines. He agreed with much of a character’s monologue about the oil-based infrastructure that underpins daily life, though he clarified that unlike the show’s bleak prediction, America is not close to running out of oil or gas. “We literally have centuries of hydrocarbons,” Cortes claimed, particularly in states like New Mexico.
Cortes also responded to arguments in favor of other renewable energy sources. While he strongly opposes large-scale solar installations that take up farmland, he expressed conditional support for rooftop solar panels on existing buildings and endorsed nuclear energy as a reliable part of the energy mix. “Nuclear is totally safe and efficient now,” he said, noting that even Microsoft has invested in nuclear facilities to meet growing power demands.
The conversation touched on the environmental costs of wind energy, including its impact on wildlife. Cortes cited concerns over bird deaths—especially among protected species like bald eagles—and pointed to a growing number of whale strandings near offshore wind farms. While he acknowledged that causation has not been definitively proven, he said there’s reason to believe sonar interference from turbines could be to blame.
Throughout the interview, Cortes criticized the influence of environmental activists and federal subsidies, which he said distort the energy market and promote ineffective solutions. He urged conservative policymakers to reclaim environmental stewardship by advocating for practical, locally driven policies rooted in responsible use of domestic resources.
The full Blown Away documentary is available to watch on X, and extended interviews, including Cortes’ full conversation with Myron Lizer, are available on his website.