Seven states, including Maine, have filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration over one of its deals to end an offshore wind project, alleging that the move is “illegal,” calling it a “sham deal.”
Led by New York attorney general Letitia James, the complaint argues that the multi-million dollar deal between TotalEnergies and the Trump Administration “threatens to erase over a thousand union jobs and cheat millions of New Yorkers out of clean, affordable energy.”
Last March, the federal government announced that it would be reimbursing TotalEnergies $928 million for offshore wind leases it had purchased under the Biden Administration.
To receive this payment, the company had to agree that it would use the funds for the development of a new liquefied natural gas plant in Texas.
In a separate deal that is not being challenged as part of this suit, the federal government promised to give an additional $900 million to two other wind energy developers so that they would not follow through with projects in New York and California.
The 72-page complaint filed this week contends that the federal government violated the law in executing its deal with TotalEnergies by not holding a hearing to determine if keeping the offshore wind leases “would likely cause serious harm to life, property, national security, or the environment.”
The plaintiffs also argue in the lawsuit that the move was a violation of the Judgment Fund Act because the sum given to TotalEnergies was not a payment in settlement of an “imminent lawsuit,” but “a contrived arrangement to satisfy the president’s personal opposition to wind energy.”
According to CNN, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the media, but a spokesperson for the Interior Department called the agreements “voluntary,” saying that “no one was forced to sign them.”
“These settlements were reviewed and approved by the Department of Justice, underscoring that they went through the appropriate channels,” the Interior spokesperson said in a statement shared by CNN.
“The only thing blatantly unlawful here,” the Interior Department said, “was the process by which these offshore wind leases were negotiated and imposed under the Biden administration.”
Originally purchased for $795 million in 2022, the leases off the coast of New York and New Jersey for a project that had the potential to generate up to 3 gigawatts of power.
Although the president had attempted to issue a stop work order on off-shore wind projects, federal courts repeatedly blocked these efforts. Subsequently, the federal government pursued these multi-million dollar agreements.
“Offshore wind is one of the most expensive, unreliable, environmentally disruptive, and subsidy-dependent schemes ever forced on American ratepayers and taxpayers,” Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said of the deal at the time.
“Today’s agreement prioritizes affordability for hardworking American consumers over the prior administration’s ideological, ineffective energy policies,” added then-Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
Environmental activists have pushed back on the deal, according to the Guardian.
“Paying to remove affordable, homegrown energy out of the equation leaves American consumers struggling to pay their electricity bills,” said Sam Salustro, a senior vice-president of pro-offshore wind group Oceantic Network.
Maine and a number of other New England and Mid-Atlantic states have signed onto this lawsuit because they have argued that the cancellation of the off-shore wind leases will lead to increased energy costs for ratepayers.
As a result of this lawsuit, the challengers are hoping that the court will strike down the agreement, prevent the lease cancellation, and block Trump Administration officials from taking further action to implement the deal.
In addition to Maine and New York, other states that have signed onto this lawsuit include Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
As they say: Angus like Angus when it comes to wind power and filling one”s own pockets.
Shame on the State, this is insane
Have these fools brining on the lawsuit conducted any environmental studies on the environmental hazards and effects that these wind projects will create on the sea life in the ocean. I bet not.
For instance the effects on the mammals in these areas. Democrats so you know whales, dolphins are mammals and are highly receptive to sonic vibrations or humming. It disrupts there natural senses of navigation and drives them crazy to the point they beach them selves to get away from it.
On the other hand how many seabirds will be killed in the process? Most likely followed by other fish being driven from there feeding grounds.
Aaron Frey , adding his barely legible signature to ANOTHER lawsuit written by someone else .
Good job Aaron .
Will your little Somali buddies in Lewiston get all the money from this one too ?
“Led by New York attorney general Letitia James”. So the State of Maine is now in bed with her? And I thought that this guy Platner was weird.