1. United States
2. N.D.
3. Letter

Congress must immediately call Secretary Doug Burgum in for questioning about the Interior Department's decision to pay TotalEnergies $928 million in taxpayer funds to abandon two offshore wind leases in Carolina Long Bay and New York Bight. This payment rewards an oil company for walking away from clean energy development and redirecting that $1 billion investment into oil and gas projects instead. This makes no economic sense. Offshore wind is one of the cheapest and most reliable forms of electricity available. Revolution Wind in New England alone could lower electricity costs by half a billion dollars annually. Instead, we're subsidizing a French oil company to develop more expensive fossil fuels while Americans face soaring energy bills and record heat waves. We cannot continue investing in a dying industry that uses finite resources while other countries race ahead on renewables. This decision undermines our energy security and economic future. Congress must investigate Burgum's ties to the oil industry, block this payment, and ensure federal policy supports renewable energy development that will actually lower costs and strengthen America's energy independence.