Jan 20 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump suspended new

federal offshore wind leasing pending an environmental and

economic review, saying wind mills are ugly, expensive and harm

wildlife.

"We're not going to do the wind thing. Big, ugly wind mills.

They ruin your neighborhood," he said.

Without providing evidence, he said offshore wind projects

were behind an increase in whale deaths off the U.S. East Coast

in recent years.

He added: "They're the most expensive form of energy that

you can have, by far. And they kill your birds and they ruin

your beautiful landscapes."

A White House press release said Trump issued an executive

action suspending offshore wind leasing from all areas of the

U.S. outer continental shelf pending an environmental and

economic review.

The order is not expected to impact existing U.S. offshore

wind projects being advanced by companies including Orsted

, Avangrid, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and

Dominion.

The move stirred concern among wind power

representatives, who said Trump's position jarred with Trump's

promise to maximize national energy output.

"A national energy emergency requires us to unleash all

necessary sources of American energy - including offshore wind,"

said Hillary Bright, executive director of offshore wind

advocacy group Turn Forward.

Former U.S. President Joe Biden saw wind power as a vital

part of his strategy to decarbonize the U.S. power sector to

fight climate change and his government held multiple auctions

aimed at developing big new projects.

Trump's opposition to wind power represents an about-face

from his first term, when his administration had also sought to

encourage offshore wind development.

The suspension came as Trump also laid out a sweeping plan

to maximize U.S. oil and gas production while also withdrawing

the U.S. from the 2015 Paris climate pact aimed at fighting

global warming.

(Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Michael Perry)