New York is leading a multistate lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s cancellation of a major offshore wind project that state officials say would have powered hundreds of thousands of homes, lowered energy costs and created more than 1,700 jobs.
Attorney General Letitia James and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday that New York and six other states have filed suit over the cancellation of an offshore wind lease held by TotalEnergies subsidiary Attentive Energy. The project, located about 47 miles off New York’s coast, was expected to provide electricity to more than 700,000 homes and deliver power directly to New York City.
At the center of the dispute is a March agreement between the U.S. Department of the Interior and TotalEnergies that canceled offshore wind leases off New York and North Carolina. State officials allege the federal government agreed to reimburse the company $795 million while the company committed to invest a similar amount in fossil fuel projects and refrain from developing new offshore wind projects in the United States.
According to state officials, the New York portion of the project would have generated an estimated $25.6 billion in economic benefits over 25 years, including roughly $10 billion in savings on energy bills for New Yorkers. The project also was expected to create approximately 1,716 jobs. New York argues the cancellation threatens future energy supplies as electricity demand continues to grow, particularly in New York City, where offshore wind was expected to play a significant role in meeting long-term demand.
The lawsuit contends federal officials violated the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act by canceling the lease without required hearings or findings demonstrating serious threats to national security, public safety or the environment. The coalition also argues the use of federal settlement funds to compensate the company was unlawful. Joining New York in the lawsuit are Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont.
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