ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S.

offshore wind developers put on a brave face at a conference

this week, touting their ability to work with leaders from both

political parties, although privately attendees fretted that

things could get rough for them if Republican Donald Trump wins

the Nov. 5 presidential election.

The Republican nominee and former president has vowed to

scrap offshore wind projects through an executive order on his

first day in office if he retakes the White House, claiming

windmills ruin the environment and kill birds and whales.

Trump is in a tight race against Democratic Vice President

Kamala Harris, who has championed ambitious offshore wind

targets as part of President Joe Biden's administration.

The tight election race has made a challenging year worse

for the industry, already roiled by canceled projects, shelved

lease sales and a construction accident at the country's first

major offshore wind project.

"We have this conference in October every year and obviously

a week before a federal election, that adds a certain amount of

energy and uncertainty," American Clean Power Association CEO

Jason Grumet said on the sidelines of ACP's Offshore Windpower

conference in Atlantic City.

"The fact that this election is so polarized across the

country I think increases the sense of uncertainty, not just

around the economic questions about the deployment of offshore

wind, but people are generally quite passionate about the

direction of the country. So I think we felt just a bit of

anxiety that was much broader than anybody's commercial

commitments."

Speaking on background, at least a dozen industry

participants at the conference spoke of an uncertain future for

the industry under a Trump administration. Two executives in

offshore wind development expressed fears of a long, slow spiral

for the industry if Trump wins and halts federal permitting for

projects.

All of them declined to comment on the record. Other

executives and regulators Reuters approached at the conference

either declined to comment on the implications of a Trump

presidency or said they will work with whoever is in the White

House, without detailing how.

"Our goal persists no matter who is in the White House," New

York State Research and Development Authority CEO Doreen Harris

said. New York wants to install 9 Gigawatts (GW) of offshore

wind energy by 2035.

In an emailed statement, Equinor ( EQNR ) said it does not

view providing renewable energy and creating a domestic supply

chain as a partisan issue.

Separately, a White House advisor on renewable energy said a

Trump presidency would likely mean a reduction in federal

offshore wind leasing, adding to other challenges.

"I'm not sure that just the administration is going to be

the only impediment. But clearly it'll be a major impediment if

someone's not behind those projects," Carl Fleming, a partner at

law firm McDermott Will & Emery, told Reuters by phone.

He added the offshore wind industry would struggle to meet

the Biden administration's target of 30 GW by 2030, regardless

of who wins the Nov. 5 election.

"The industry has hit some challenges and bumps along the

way, but our role is to continue to try and bring that ambition

and demonstrate that the U.S. is serious about the clean energy

transition," Liz Klein, director of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean

Energy Management, said when asked if the targets are

achievable.

The conference overlapped with the Biden administration's

first offshore wind lease sale in the Gulf of Maine, which drew

just $22 million in bids. Several industry watchers blamed

election jitters for low auction turnout by developers.

(Additional reporting by Nichola Groom; Editing by David

Gregorio)