Blue states sue Trump admin over offshore wind lease cancellation
New York is leading a coalition of seven Democrat-led states that is suing the Trump administration over a buyout deal struck earlier this year that resulted in the cancellation of an offshore wind farm lease.
TL;DR
- Seven Democrat-led states, led by New York, are suing the Trump administration.
- The lawsuit challenges a $928 million buyout deal that canceled an offshore wind farm lease.
- Plaintiffs allege the payment to French company TotalEnergies was an illegal payoff.
- The deal required TotalEnergies to abandon U.S. offshore wind projects and invest in fossil fuels.
- The states argue the Interior Department violated the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act by not holding a hearing to determine harm before cancellation.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James are leading the charge, criticizing the deal as an abuse of taxpayer dollars and hostility towards offshore wind.
- The affected New York project, Attentive Energy, was intended to power over 1 million homes.