The Trump administration is still taking swings at the offshore wind industry — but lawmakers are increasingly pushing back. Late last week, the U.S. Interior Department signed off on its fifth deal to get an offshore wind developer to abandon its leases. German company RWE will receive $1.2 billion to give up its stakes off the coasts of New York, California, and Louisiana.
Seven Democratic-led states have already sued the department over its initial deal with French oil giant TotalEnergies. And this week, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Angus King (I-Maine) proposed legislation that would reward offshore wind developers that reject Trump administration buyouts with an expedited path to construction.
The bill is dead in the water as long as Trump is in office, but signals Democrats will continue to fight for an industry once seen as essential to decarbonization plans.
Batteries are having a great year
The end of federal tax credits hasn’t deterred home batteries. New data out this week from Rhodium Group shows Americans spent more money on home batteries than solar panels from April through June, marking the second quarter in a row that storage spending exceeded solar.
