Seven States Sue Trump Administration Over $928 Million Deal to Cancel Offshore Wind Projects

On June 2, 2026, the attorneys general of New York, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to overturn a March agreement in which the Trump administration paid French energy firm TotalEnergies $928 million to abandon two offshore wind projects—one off New York and another off North Carolina. The plaintiffs contend the deal violates the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Judgment Fund Act, threatens more than a thousand union jobs, and deprives millions of New Yorkers of clean, affordable electricity.

New York TimesThe Guardian

Attorney General Letitia James said the agreement breaches federal law and would erase union jobs while cheating New Yorkers out of clean energy. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended the deal, describing offshore wind as expensive, unreliable, environmentally disruptive and subsidy-dependent, and calling the payment a win for President Trump’s commitment to affordable, reliable energy. A Justice Department spokesperson declined comment, and the White House has not responded.

The Guardian

The seven states argue the canceled projects would have supplied electricity to their grids and supported local economies. Oceantic Network senior vice-president Sam Salustro warned that paying to remove affordable, homegrown energy leaves American consumers facing higher electricity bills. Green groups have also highlighted offshore wind’s role in meeting climate goals.

The GuardianNew York Times

The sources provide the plaintiffs’ allegations but do not include a detailed public justification from the administration beyond Burgum’s general criticism of offshore wind. No official comment from the White House or breakdown of how the $928 million will be allocated to oil and gas projects is offered.

The Guardian

• “The Trump administration is once again trying to kill clean energy projects and destroy good-paying jobs for New Yorkers,” — Letitia James, New York Attorney General

The Guardian

• “After repeatedly losing in court, this administration cooked up a sham deal to pay a foreign energy company hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to abandon offshore wind and invest in oil and gas instead,” — Letitia James, New York Attorney General

The Guardian

• “another win for President Trump’s commitment to affordable and reliable energy for all Americans” — Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior

The Guardian

• “Paying to remove affordable, homegrown energy out of the equation leaves American consumers struggling to pay their electricity bills.” — Sam Salustro, Senior Vice-President, Oceantic Network

The Guardian

The suit asks the court to invalidate the TotalEnergies agreement, halt the lease cancellations, and bar further administrative actions. The case will proceed through the federal judiciary, potentially shaping future offshore wind policy and the federal government’s authority over energy lease cancellations.

The Guardian