Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleAn aerial view of wind turbines at the Altamont Pass wind farm on January 13, 2026 in Livermore, California (Getty)The Trump administration will pay Duke Energy $129 million to abandon plans for an offshore wind farm off North Carolina. Duke Energy will surrender its federal lease in the Carolina Long Bay area and intends to reinvest the funds into advancing nuclear and natural gas generation. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated the move aligns with President Trump's vision for affordable and reliable American energy. Critics, including the Southeastern Wind Coalition, argue the termination is a setback, estimating the project could have powered 300,000 homes and created 37,000 jobs. This deal is part of a pattern, following similar agreements where the Trump administration paid firms like TotalEnergies and Invenergy to cancel wind projects, some of which have faced lawsuits from states. In fullTrump team hands out $129 million in taxpayer money to end another wind farm projectThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

North Carolina's Duke Energy's agreement raises the number of leases up for cancellation to nine, with $2.6bn in refunds committed by the administration

A Duke Energy subsidiary paid $155 million for the lease in 2022, saying it could support up to 1.6 GW of capacity. The utility now says it will “refocus” nearly $129 million to…

Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. RALEIGH, N.C. — Duke Energy accepted $129 million in taxpayer money to buyout an offshore wind lease,…

Duke Energy has accepted a multi-million-dollar settlement from the US Government, agreeing to relinquish its offshore wind leases in North Carolina

The chief executive of Duke Energy Carolinas said that the money could be reinvested into ‘advancing nuclear and natural gas generation’

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or…