Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) took aim at the Trump administration on Wednesday over its growing offshore wind lease buyback program, warning that New Yorkers could be left in the dark.
In a post on X, Schumer said President Trump has "spent $2.6 billion in taxpayer money to kill offshore wind projects." He argued that these projects represented "thousands of good union jobs, billions in economic development, and millions of homes worth of desperately needed electricity."
Schumer didn't mince words about the potential fallout: "And any blackouts in NY will now rest squarely on the shoulders of Donald Trump."
The senator's comments came in response to an Associated Press report that the Trump administration had reached another agreement to buy back offshore wind leases, bringing the total value of such deals to nearly $2.6 billion. The U.S. Department of the Interior did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Latest Deal: Invenergy Gets $765 Million to Walk Away
The newest agreement involves privately held energy developer Invenergy, which will receive $765 million in lease fee reimbursements for four offshore wind projects that were still in early development stages. According to the administration, Invenergy plans to redirect that capital toward natural gas facilities in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, as well as geothermal projects in Western states.
This deal follows earlier agreements with TotalEnergies (TTE) and developers Golden State Wind and Bluepoint Wind. Together, these transactions have halted eight offshore wind projects.
The Energy Security Debate
Supporters of the administration argue that natural gas and geothermal projects can be deployed faster and provide more reliable electricity as power demand rises. Critics, however, contend that the policy undermines clean energy development and does little to address electricity needs in Northeastern states that would have benefited from offshore wind generation.
Schumer's warning highlights the political stakes: if New York faces blackouts, the blame game will be fierce. For now, the administration is betting that fossil fuels and geothermal can fill the gap, while opponents see a costly retreat from renewable energy.
