Trump Offers $1 Billion to Stop Offshore Wind Farms

The administration is drafting settlement agreements to pay a French energy company to abandon wind projects off New York and North Carolina.

Mar. 17, 2026 at 4:35pm

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The Trump administration is reportedly drafting settlement agreements that would pay nearly $1 billion to TotalEnergies, a French energy company developing two offshore wind farms off the coasts of New York and North Carolina, if it agrees to abandon the projects. The administration is also requiring TotalEnergies to invest in natural gas infrastructure in Texas as part of the deal.

Why it matters

This move by the Trump administration highlights its continued efforts to undermine the growth of the offshore wind industry in the U.S., even after federal judges shot down the administration's previous attempts to halt several major offshore wind projects. The administration's willingness to essentially bribe energy companies into dropping offshore wind projects underscores its desperation to pivot the U.S. energy sector back toward fossil fuels, at the expense of public health and climate goals.

The details

Documents reviewed by The New York Times reportedly show that senior administration officials are drafting settlement agreements that would pay nearly $1 billion to TotalEnergies if it agrees to abandon its plans for the Attentive Energy project in the New York Bight and the Carolina Long Bay project off the coast of North Carolina. The administration is also requiring TotalEnergies to invest in natural gas infrastructure in Texas as part of the deal.

  • On March 17, 2026, Vineyard Wind, one of five major offshore wind projects the Trump administration attempted to halt in December, installed its final blade, marking a major milestone.
  • In the weeks following the federal judges' ruling that allowed the five East Coast offshore wind projects to resume construction, the Trump administration is now pursuing this new strategy to stop the projects.

The players

Vineyard Wind

A joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners that has completed construction of its 62-turbine offshore wind farm, which will soon deliver enough electricity to power 400,000 homes.

TotalEnergies

A French energy company that is developing the Attentive Energy project in the New York Bight and the Carolina Long Bay project off the coast of North Carolina.

Trump administration

The current U.S. federal government administration, led by President Donald Trump, that is attempting to halt the development of offshore wind projects in the country.

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What they’re saying

“It is quite unusual for the administration to do this cash outlay, seemingly just because Trump doesn't like offshore wind.”

— John Leshy, Former general counsel for the Interior Department during the Clinton administration (The New York Times)

What’s next

If TotalEnergies refuses the settlement offer, the Trump administration would still cancel its leases, forcing the company into a costly legal battle to keep the projects.

The takeaway

The Trump administration's willingness to pay nearly $1 billion to stop offshore wind projects demonstrates its continued efforts to prioritize fossil fuels over renewable energy, even in the face of legal setbacks and the industry's progress in developing major offshore wind farms.