Trump administration will pay to scrap California offshore wind lease [View all]
Source: USA Today
June 18, 2026, 1:17 p.m. ET
June 17 (Reuters) - The Trump administration on Wednesday said it would pay $765 million to power project developer Invenergy to terminate four wind leases off the coasts of New York, California and Maine. The Department of the Interior said in a statement that Invenergy will use those funds to develop natural gas power plants in five Midwestern states and geothermal projects in the Western United States.
The deal is the latest of several the administration has announced this year as part of a wide-ranging effort to stop development of U.S. offshore wind projects, which it regards as costly and inefficient. President Donald Trump's administration has sought to increase domestic fossil fuel production and scrapped policies that support clean energy development, which has been criticized by Democrats and industry advocates.
"We applaud Invenergy for recognizing the importance of baseload power and investing in energy solutions that deliver real benefits to American consumers," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.
More: Trump signs executive order pausing wind turbine leases
Seven U.S. states sued the administration earlier this month over a nearly $800 million payment to France's TotalEnergies TTEF.PA to cancel an offshore wind lease off the coast of New York. The states alleged the administration failed to follow proper administrative processes and misused a government fund reserved for legal settlements even though there was no litigation between the parties.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/california/2026/06/18/california-offshore-wind-lease-to-be-scrapped-as-part-of-765m-deal/90608150007/
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