California intends to sue the Trump administration over its proposed off the state’s central coast.
State officials said they are combating the administration’s attacks on their offshore wind industry by sending a notice of their intention to sue to the Department of the Interior on Tuesday. Tuesday鈥檚 action is focused on the administration buying back the lease for Golden State Wind, a floating offshore wind project off California鈥檚 central coast.
California has made a major commitment to offshore wind because of its potential to generate vast amounts of clean electricity from strong, consistent winds off its coast. Its strategy calls for the state to develop 25 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2045, enough to power roughly 25 million homes and provide about 13% of the state鈥檚 electricity supply.
These energy and climate goals are now in jeopardy, and that’s why California will fight vigorously, said California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild. He called the administration’s strategy of buying back offshore wind leases 鈥渁 strategic mistake of colossal proportions” that is especially stunning at a time when due to the Iran war.
鈥淐ountries that thrive around the world are those that lean into innovation, into the energy sources of the future,鈥� he said in an interview on Tuesday. 鈥淎nd so to turn away from this, and turn back the clock, and really engage in what I consider to be a war on innovation, is really ill-considered. And I think it鈥檚 a decision that鈥檚 not just bad for California, it鈥檚 bad for the nation.鈥�
Trump administration favors fossil fuels over wind
President Donald Trump has said he鈥檚 to unleash America鈥檚 affordable and reliable energy, and he frequently talks about his . The Interior Department started buying back offshore wind leases after to through executive action.
In exchange for reimbursements of lease fees, companies are investing in fossil fuel projects and geothermal energy. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said last week that 鈥渦nder President Trump, companies are shifting investment back toward dependable, secure energy infrastructure that can power our economy and lower utility costs.鈥�
A total of five federal leases off California’s coastline have been awarded to energy developers. Two are being canceled through deals with the Interior Department: Golden State Wind and another floating project off California鈥檚 central coast by Chicago-based Invenergy. The state says it also issued an administrative investigative subpoena on Tuesday to Invenergy, which .
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement that the state won鈥檛 stand idly by as the Trump administration 鈥渋llegally strikes deals to kill offshore wind projects and replace them with more windfalls for his fossil fuel friends.鈥�
Eight offshore wind projects have been stopped so far
The total amount spent on these agreements is nearly $2.6 billion. Under the first deal announced in March, 鈥� essentially a refund of its two offshore wind leases 鈥� if it invests the money in fossil fuels instead. Those leases were off the coasts of North Carolina and New York. challenging the TotalEnergies agreement and it.
agreed in April to end their leases. Bluepoint Wind was an offshore wind farm in the early stages of development off the coasts of New Jersey and New York.
Golden State Wind is a joint venture by Ocean Winds and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Under its agreement, Golden State Wind can recover about $120 million in lease fees after the same amount is invested in oil and gas assets, infrastructure or projects along the Gulf Coast, Interior said. Michael Brown, CEO of Ocean Winds North America, said in April that the deal provided 鈥渃larity鈥� for the company and its investors.
Hochschild and Bonta say that Interior illegally reallocated federal taxpayer dollars to pay Golden State Wind to abandon its offshore wind energy lease and invest an equal amount in out-of-state fossil fuel projects, which will do nothing to support California鈥檚 energy economy.
They also say California has invested more than $100 million over the past decade to ready its ports, transmission systems and industries to support offshore wind generation, and those investments may be lost if the Trump administration successfully halts offshore wind development.
California plans to sue in 60 days if the situation isn’t rectified.
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