Report: Trump Administration Offers $1B to Cancel Two Offshore Wind Leases
In its latest move to derail the offshore wind energy industry, the Trump administration is reportedly proposing to buy back offshore wind power leases in exchange for investments in natural gas. In an exclusive report from The New York Times, they write that the Department of the Interior is offering to reimburse TotalEnergies nearly $1 billion if the company relinquishes leases in the New York Bight and off the coast of North Carolina.
The newspaper reports it saw copies of the draft settlement agreements, which are currently under negotiation, while noting it is unclear if TotalEnergies will accept the deal. The U.S. Government would pay TotalEnergies more than $928 million, which is being called a “reimbursement” for relinquishing the leases it has held since 2022. The company would, in exchange, agree to “accelerate investments” for gas plants and gas production sites in Texas, reports The New York Times.
The two projects involved are both earlier-stage wind farms that have not yet received their government approvals and have not completed power agreements. TotalEnergies could reject the settlement, but for the projects to proceed, it would still need the Trump administration to approve the environmental and construction plans, which is unlikely. The Trump administration could also attempt to cancel the leases, which it has threatened on other projects. Either scenario would likely result in costly legal battles.
TotalEnergies won a lease in the hotly contested 2022 auction for properties in the New York Bight, an auction that set a financial record. TotalEnergies paid $795 million for a large area approximately 36 miles from New Jersey and 47 miles from New York. Called Attentive Energy, and in partnership with Rise Light & Power and Corio Generation, it has proposed two projects, one for each state. New York selected the project in its third round, which was later canceled. Attentive Energy submitted its Construction Operation Plan to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in September 2024, but the Trump administration has paused the reviews.
The second project is known as Carolina Long Bay, and the lease was awarded in May 2022 for a cost of $160 million. The lease area is approximately 22 miles from the North Carolina coast near Bald Head Island. The company has said the area could provide more than 1 GW of electric power.
The Department of the Interior reportedly would pay $795 million for Attentive Energy’s lease and more than $133 million for Carolina Long Bay. It would cancel both leases.
TotalEnergies had indicated in November 2024 that it was putting the projects “on pause” after the Trump election. It said it would be pursuing projects elsewhere and could reconsider the U.S. projects after the Trump administration.
The Department of Justice has been working to challenge other leases awarded by the Biden administration, including for a project in Maryland and others in the Northeast. It has repeatedly claimed the Biden administration rushed the reviews and did not consider all the factors. When Trump returned to the White House, he immediately signed an Executive Order pausing the leasing process and putting it under review. A court last year overturned the Executive Order, saying it violated U.S. administrative law.
Courts also awarded preliminary restraining orders against five stop-work orders against the projects currently under construction. Able to resume work by late January, two of the projects, Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind 1, reached milestones last week. Revolution Wind delivered its first power to the New England power grid, and Vineyard Wind completed its installation and is completing its commissioning. The three other projects are also reporting progress with their installations while still awaiting their court battles with the Trump administration, which alleges new research showed a danger from the blades and towers causing radar interference. The Department of Justice has vowed to appeal the cases where it was overturned, while it continues to battle various cases to stop additional offshore wind energy leases.
CSM Energy Marks Milestone for Next-Gen Onshore and Offshore Wind Vessel
[By: CSM Energy]
CSM Energy has marked a significant milestone in the development of the next generation of onshore and offshore wind service vessels, following a strategic project workshop and the successful steel cutting of the C-CSOV (Commissioning Service Operation Vessel) JOULE.
CSM Energy, part of Columbia Group, recently hosted the workshop in Limassol, Cyprus, which brought together key project partners including Deutsche Offshore, Schoeller Holdings, CSM Energy (CSME), CSM Cyprus (CSM CY), and Columbia Signature.
The workshop provided an important platform for collaboration and technical alignment as partners reviewed critical aspects of the next-generation vessel, designed to set new standards for the offshore wind sector. Discussions focused on the vessel’s design and specifications, chartering requirements, preparations for the new build phase, and planning for the eventual delivery of the vessel.
The sessions reinforced the strong cooperation between the participating organisations and ensured that all stakeholders remain aligned as the project progresses.
Following the workshop, the project reached a significant construction milestone with partners taking part in a steel-cutting ceremony for the C-CSOV DO JOULE vessel, taking place at CSSC Huangpu Wenchong Shipyard in China.
The ceremony marked the official start of construction for the vessel and was attended by representatives from the shipyard, SDARI, SALT Ship Design, the classification society, Deutsche Offshore, MOL, and members of the project supervision team. This milestone represents a key step forward in the development of the C-CSOV DO JOULE and reflects the continued commitment of all partners to delivering a high-quality vessel that meets the project’s technical and operational requirements.
Managing Director of CSM Energy, Kryiacos Tsangaris said: “The successful completion of our workshop demonstrates the strong collaboration between all project partners as we move forward with the development of the C-CSOV DO JOULE.
“The steel cutting milestone marks the official start of construction and represents an important step towards delivering a high-quality, next-generation vessel that will support the growing onshore and offshore energy sector. We are proud to work alongside our partners and the shipyard team to bring this project to fruition.”
The C-CSOV DO JOULE vessel will be used to support commissioning of new offshore wind farms, transport and accommodate offshore technicians, provide maintenance and service operations, and enable the safe transfer of personnel and equipment to turbines and offshore platforms. It is due for delivery in 2027.
The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.
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