Why the Trump administration is paying billions to abandon wind farms
PBS • • business
Key Points:
- The Trump administration has paid nearly $2 billion to energy companies, including TotalEnergies, to cancel offshore wind projects on the U.S. East and West Coasts, citing national security concerns.
- These payments followed court rulings that blocked the administration's attempts to halt the projects, which were initially supported by taxpayer subsidies under the Biden administration.
- Legal experts, including former Bureau of Ocean Energy Management director Elizabeth Klein, argue that the administration lacks the statutory authority to make such payouts, calling the deals "backdoor" and lacking transparency.
- The legality of these payments is being questioned by members of Congress and Republican officials in New York, raising concerns about the administration's spending authority and process.
