Another offshore wind developer exits California in $1.22-billion deal with Trump administration

August 06, 2026
  • German energy giant RWE said it will abandon offshore wind leases off New York, Louisiana and California’s Humboldt coast under a $1.22-billion deal with the Trump administration, deepening setbacks for U.S. clean energy.
  • The agreement, the fifth and largest such buyout this year, is part of $2.7 billion in payouts steering companies away from offshore wind and into fossil fuel projects.
  • California officials and environmental advocates say the actions threaten the state’s 2045 offshore wind goals and risks jobs and investments.

Another offshore wind company has entered into an agreement with the Trump administration to walk away from projects along the coast of the United States, including one in California.

German energy giant RWE said Thursday it reached a $1.22-billion deal with the U.S. Interior Department to abandon wind leases off New York, Louisiana and Northern California near Humboldt, further challenging the Golden State’s clean energy ambitions.

The deal is the fifth and largest the administration has reached this year in an unprecedented effort to steer companies away from offshore wind and into fossil fuel projects. President Trump has described offshore wind as expensive, unsightly and unreliable.

For full article, click here. 


By:  Hayley Smith
Source: Los Angeles Times