California Sues Over $120 Million Offshore Wind Lease Buyout by Trump Administration
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 28
California Sues Over $120 Million Offshore Wind Lease Buyout by Trump Administration
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 28
Summary
$120 million sits at the center of California’s lawsuit, which targets the Trump administration and Golden State Wind over a deal that canceled an offshore wind lease near Morro Bay.
The state says the Interior Department agreed to refund what the company paid for the 2022 lease if the money was redirected into oil and gas projects, effectively killing the planned floating wind farm.
Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission argue the agreement threatens thousands of jobs and undermines California’s investments in an offshore wind industry the state sees as central to its clean-energy plans.
Interior defended the settlements as voluntary and Justice Department-reviewed, saying the administration would not back projects it believes raise utility costs, weaken the energy system and harm the environment.