Trump Administration Announces End of More Offshore Wind Leases
The Trump administration announced a $765 million deal with power company Invenergy today which will terminate four offshore wind leases. This deal follows similar agreements with Total Energies and Global Infrastructure Partners (, subscription).
- The funds will go toward gas-fired power plants and geothermal projects in the Midwest and West.
The backstory: The administrations longstanding opposition to new renewable energy projects brought talks about permitting reform to a standstill last year, though it earlier this year.
- After restarting reviews of new solar projects in February, the administration also a ruling against its blockage of a Rhode Island offshore wind project.
- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a vocal critic of the administrations actions on renewable energy, had threatened to halt permitting talks again if the administration continued challenging the Revolution Wind project.
In court: The administrations policies on wind energy have faced successful challenges in the courts. This week, the Interior Department withdrew its appeal of a court ruling invalidating its wind directive, which halted new onshore and offshore wind projects ( ).
- The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled in December that Interiors pause on new wind approvals pending an agency review was arbitrary and capricious under procedural law.
- On Monday, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the Interior Department to drop its appeal, though the department did not explain its reasons in its filing.
紼梗硃紳滄堯勳梭梗 A judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusettsnixed the administrations efforts to get a lawsuit brought by clean energy producers dismissed (, subscription).
- The suit challenges five Interior Department and Army Corps of Engineers policies [that the developers] alleged were hampering solar and wind developmentincluding one requirement that senior Interior Department officials must approve solar and wind permits, an additional burden for new projects.
- The judge dismissed the Trump administrations renewed claims that the developers lacked standing to bring their legal challenge, writing that the developers have plausibly shown that they face imminent injury from the administrations actions.
