Trump administration paying another company to give up wind leases, invest in gas and geothermal

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The Trump administration is paying yet another company to give up the right to build wind energy offshore, saying the firm will invest in gas plants and geothermal energy instead.

The Interior Department announced Wednesday that it reached a settlement agreement with affiliates of Invenergy to give up four offshore wind leases off the costs of New York, California and Maine.

The department said that these leases were worth a total of $765 million. It said it would return that money to Invenergy and that the cash would be redirected toward “other domestic energy sources.”

It said this includes gas-fired power plants in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri and geothermal power projects in the Western U.S.

While natural gas is considered to be a fossil fuel and significant contributor to climate change, geothermal power is created using heat beneath the Earth’s surface and is considered to have low climate impacts.

The department has made similar deals in recent weeks with other companies holding offshore wind leases. It’s part of a broader Trump effort to stifle wind energy and support fossil fuels.

“Under President Trump, companies are shifting investment back toward dependable, secure energy infrastructure that can power our economy and lower utility costs. We applaud Invenergy for recognizing the importance of baseload power and investing in energy solutions that deliver real benefits to American consumers,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement.

Invenergy senior vice president for development Daniel Runyan said in a statement that the company “will deploy additional capital into projects that can be delivered on a commercially reasonable timeline and meet customer demand while continuing to evaluate opportunities as market conditions evolve.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Jared Huffman (Calif.), the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee described the deal as illegal and a waste of taxpayer dollars.

“Donald Trump is using your tax dollars to make America more dependent on dirty, volatile fossil fuels. He is paying energy companies to kill homegrown offshore wind that will put electricity on the grid, lower energy bills, and create good jobs, and he is funneling that money straight back to fossil fuel, leaving families at the mercy of every price spike and global shock. It is hard to imagine a more backwards use of taxpayer money,” he said in a statement.

“These deals are illegal, and they make our country weaker. I have serious questions, and I intend to get answers,” Huffman added.

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