States are mounting a coast-to-coast legal fight against Trump administration deals to pay offshore wind developers to abandon leases that had the potential to help power millions of homes.
Eight East Coast states have notified the federal government of their plans to sue within the next 60 days over agreements with Bluepoint Wind and Invenergy, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell (D) announced Thursday. California is launching its own legal action in response to a third deal.
The Trump administration, which has blocked offshore wind permits and sought to otherwise halt projects, is cutting deals with energy companies to buy out their leases for the massive, capital-intensive projects.
It’s a win for the companies, who get payouts for leases they’ve largely written off as worthless, but a major blow for states that were banking on offshore wind to meet growing electricity demand and decarbonize their grids.
