Wind farm

Democratic attorneys general in California and New York filed separate lawsuits against the Trump administration over deals to buy back offshore wind leases, part of a broader push to curb wind energy development in favor of fossil fuels. California's suit, led by Attorney General Rob Bonta, challenges the cancellation of an Invenergy project off the state's coast. New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a seven-state coalition — including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Vermont — against the same Invenergy deal and a separate agreement ending Bluepoint Wind's project off New York and New Jersey.

The disputed deals would pay energy companies roughly $1.4 billion in taxpayer funds to cancel projects, part of nearly $4 billion pledged nationwide since the Interior Department began buybacks in March after courts blocked Trump's earlier executive actions against offshore wind. In exchange, companies are redirecting investment toward fossil fuel and geothermal projects, which Interior Secretary Doug Burgum framed as a shift toward "dependable" energy. James called the arrangements illegal and warned they would raise electricity costs by limiting states' ability to expand power supply; Bonta echoed the concern at a Climate Week event, calling the legal fights "avoidable" distractions from climate action. The lawsuits add to a growing string of legal battles between Democratic-led states and the administration over energy and climate policy.

The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement agreement clearing the way for Acceleration Solar, a 600-plus-acre, 90-megawatt solar project spanning Leslie, Onondaga and Vevay townships in Ingham County. It is the first project to be approved under Public Act 233 of 2023, a Democrat-backed law allowing renewable energy developers to bypass local opposition by seeking state-level approval for large solar, wind and battery storage projects.

Under the settlement with developer Ranger Power, the townships will receive at least $180,000 in direct payments, plus noise monitoring, tree screening, decommissioning guarantees, county drain improvements and fire department training. Local officials gave mixed reviews, acknowledging the deal improved on state minimums even as some residents preferred farmland to solar. The law faces a legal challenge from 79 townships and counties, now before the Michigan Supreme Court after an appellate court largely upheld it. Regulators are reviewing 12 similar applications statewide, making this settlement an early test of whether the contested permitting process can produce negotiated outcomes rather than contested rulings.