A shift in federal energy policy is making waves from the White House to the Carolina coast. The New York Times reports the Trump administration is finalizing a deal to scrap massive offshore wind projects in North Carolina and New York.
Under the proposed settlement, the Justice Department would pay French developer TotalEnergies more than $928 million to walk away from federal leases—effectively reimbursing the company for its winning bids. But there’s a catch: in exchange for cancelling the wind farms, TotalEnergies must agree to ramp up investments in natural gas projects in Texas.
If the company refuses the buyout, officials have indicated the administration may still cancel the leases, potentially setting off a lengthy and costly legal battle. For North Carolina, this means plans for turbines in federal waters would be on ice until at least the 2030s.
