Trump administration has spent nearly $4B to cancel offshore wind farms

The Trump medication is paying different $1.2 cardinal to cancel an offshore upwind lease, this clip to German inferior RWE. 

The vigor institution said successful an announcement that the upwind farms would person been built disconnected the coasts of California, Louisiana, and New York. Instead, RWE volition walk $900 cardinal to bargain a tiny involvement successful a Louisiana liquid earthy state export terminal.

The New York upwind workplace would person generated much than 3 gigawatts, according to Heatmap News.

The remaining $300 cardinal volition spell toward buying earthy state turbines to powerfulness 15 peaking powerfulness plants astir the country. Peaking powerfulness plants are among the astir costly and astir polluting earthy state powerfulness plants to operate. It’s unclear erstwhile those volition beryllium completed — there’s presently a backlog for caller turbines stretching into the aboriginal 2030s.

RWE isn’t backing disconnected its offshore upwind investments elsewhere, though. The institution said it is bought 6.9 gigawatts of capableness successful the UK’s caller auction.

The Trump medication has paid $3.93 cardinal for the 12 leases it has coaxed developers into abandoning.