Trump Admin Dumps Offshore Wind to Pour Billions Into Fossil Fuels

In a brazen display of energy policy backwardness, the Trump administration is shelling out up to $885 million to offshore wind developers to walk away from their projects — only if they invest a comparable amount in fossil fuel infrastructure. The Department of the Interior (DoI) announced agreements with Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind, reimbursing them $765 million and $120 million respectively to terminate their offshore wind leases.

This isn’t an isolated incident. Just last month, TotalEnergies received roughly $1 billion to quit wind farm projects in Carolina Long Bay and the New York Bight area. These payouts come after Trump’s executive order freezing new federal approvals for wind projects was struck down in court following legal challenges by state attorneys general.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum framed the scheme as a win for “affordable and reliable energy,” claiming taxpayers are no longer “footing the bill for expensive, unreliable, intermittent energy projects.” But the reality is starkly different: offshore wind and solar have been the cheapest sources of new electricity in the US for over a decade, according to investment bank Lazard.

Meanwhile, fossil fuels continue to soak up massive subsidies — an estimated $34.8 billion annually from federal tax breaks and royalty policies, on top of global fossil fuel subsidies that topped $7 trillion in 2022, according to the IMF. This is despite oil and gas being mature industries with entrenched public support.

Trump’s hostility toward renewables is well-documented, dating back to his failed legal attempt to block a Scottish wind farm near his golf course. His administration’s actions reveal a clear preference for propping up polluting energy sectors rather than embracing the clean technologies that are cheaper, more sustainable, and increasingly demanded by consumers and businesses alike.

The administration’s reckless gamble ignores the mounting climate crisis and the economic reality that renewables are the future. Instead, it doubles down on fossil fuels, wasting taxpayer money to prop up an outdated energy model that harms the planet and undermines America’s energy security.

We will keep tracking these corrupt and dangerous policies that prioritize fossil fuel profits over public interest and the planet’s future.