Trump Admin Buys Offshore Wind Leases, Critics Cry Foul

0:00The Trump administration is dropping nearly $2 billion to convince energy companies to ditch their U.S. offshore win leases. They've announced three big deals so far, paying out huge sums to firms like total energies and ocean wins, which is tied to EDP renewables and NG. After courts blocked Trump's direct attempts to halt win projects through executive orders, this buyout strategy stepped in. The latest ones with blue point win in Golden State win total nearly $900 million and some require the companies to pivot to fossil fuels instead. Democrats like representatives Jared Huffman and Jamie Raskin are firing back hard, launching an investigation and warning total energies not to take the cash. They call it a scam that burns taxpayer money as a slush fund. Senate leader Chuck Schumer labels it a bailout for fossil fuel donors, scrapping clean energy that could power millions of homes and create union. Jobs. Supporters of the move cheer it as smart and legal, saying no one can force companies to build wind farms.

1:03Meanwhile, energy experts see this as the admins final plague and offshore wind after court losses pushing developers toward Europe and Asia where. Wind is booming with global wind installs hitting a record last year and market shifting overseas. The US offshore scene looks dim for now, leaving the Northeast short on clean power options just when it needs the most local news powered by AI. This is Durham News today. I'm Corey with the story.