US states sue Trump Administration over cancellation of offshore wind lease

• 3 June 2026
• Government, Windfarms
• TotalEnergy

On Tuesday, June 2, seven U.S. states sued the Trump administration and French energy firm TotalEnergies over a decision to cancel a major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York.

The lawsuit challenges a decision made on March 23 by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Under the deal, TotalEnergies agreed to cancel the offshore wind lease, being reimbursed $795 million for lease fees, pledging not to develop further offshore wind in the U.S., and to use the money toward fossil fuel projects.

TotalEnergies also agreed to spend almost $1 billion on a Texas LNG plant and on additional oil and gas drilling.
According to the complaint, the states, led by New York, claim an administrative failure to follow proper procedures and the misuse of government funds reserved for legal settlements.

A spokesperson from the Interior Department said the agreement was voluntary and aligned with proper procedural channels.

“The only thing blatantly unlawful here was the process by which these offshore wind leases were negotiated and imposed by the Biden administration.”

The now cancelled Attentive Energy project was aimed at providing clean energy to New York and New Jersey, generating enough power for 1.3 million homes. Both states say they rely on offshore wind development to meet increasing demand and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information about offshore wind farm projects across the globe, click here.