Democratic attorneys general from California and New York have initiated legal action against the Trump administration. The lawsuits concern the administration's plans to buy back offshore wind leases, as President Donald Trump reportedly seeks to discourage wind energy expansion in favour of fossil fuels.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated his lawsuit targets the removal of a project off his state's coast, which was planned by Chicago-based Invenergy. The Trump administration announced in June that it was buying back Invenergy's US offshore wind leases for four projects on the east and west coasts.
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading seven states in lawsuits aimed at blocking the Invenergy deal and another proposal involving Bluepoint Wind. Bluepoint Wind had agreed in April to cease development of a wind farm off the New York and New Jersey coast.
These agreements would reportedly provide energy companies with $1.4bn in taxpayer funds in exchange for cancelling multiple projects. The Trump administration has pledged nearly $4bn to companies to withdraw from projects nationwide. The Interior Department began buying back offshore wind leases in March, following federal court actions that thwarted earlier efforts by Trump to halt offshore wind development through executive orders.
In exchange for lease fee reimbursements, companies are reportedly investing in fossil fuel projects and geothermal energy. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has stated that companies "are shifting investment back toward dependable, secure energy infrastructure that can power our economy and lower utility costs."
James has described these deals as illegal, asserting they would ultimately increase Americans' electricity bills by undermining states' capacity to meet growing energy demands. Bonta also commented that California, as a leader in climate change efforts, is engaged in "avoidable and unnecessary battles with our own federal government" to advance climate action.