1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

I’m writing to urge you to block the Trump Department of Interior's deal with TotalEnergies that pays the company $1 billion to abandon offshore wind projects off North Carolina and New York. This is a misuse of taxpayer money to block clean energy. After federal judges repeatedly overturned attempts to halt offshore wind construction, the administration found a new tactic: bribing companies to quit. TotalEnergies is getting a full refund of its $928 million in lease payments after it agrees to invest in fossil fuels instead of wind. The two cancelled projects would have generated 4 gigawatts of power, enough for 1.3 million homes. The administration calls this an "innovative agreement," but it's paying a private company to walk away from projects that would lower electricity costs for families as natural gas prices rise because the illegal and undeclared Iran War. Meanwhile, one of the previously blocked projects, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, just started delivering power to the grid this year. Many states are building offshore wind because it increases affordable electricity supply. This deal undermines state energy plans as well, and wastes public money to prop up fossil fuel interests. Block this agreement and any similar schemes to pay companies not to develop renewable energy. Thank you.