A proposed US settlement could bring TotalEnergies’ East Coast offshore wind plans to an end, with Washington preparing to reimburse the company more than $928 million for two federal leases marked for withdrawal.
The reported plan would see the Interior Department cancel the Attentive Energy lease in the New York Bight and the Carolina Long Bay lease off North Carolina. The Justice Department would then compensate TotalEnergies, largely covering the amounts paid for the two awards during the Biden administration.
If carried out, the deal would shut down both developments and remove TotalEnergies from the US East Coast offshore wind portfolio. It would also deepen the federal policy shift already seen in earlier steps intended to slow or roll back offshore wind leasing.
Reports said TotalEnergies could reject the offer. Even so, the Trump administration could still terminate the leases, a move that may lead to litigation. In that case, the projects would still face a difficult path because they would depend on approvals from an administration opposed to wind farm expansion.
In return for the reimbursement, TotalEnergies would reportedly accelerate natural gas infrastructure investment in Texas. The company secured the Attentive Energy lease in 2022 for $795 million, while Carolina Long Bay was awarded in May 2022 for $160 million.
The French energy group had already paused both projects after Donald Trump’s 2024 election win, saying it would prioritise other markets before deciding whether to return to the US.
