RWE, a German energy company, has reached a $1.2 billion payout deal with the Trump administration to abandon its offshore wind projects in the US. Under the agreement, RWE will reinvest the money into conventional gas projects, including a liquefied natural gas terminal project in Louisiana valued at $900 million. This is the latest deal between the Trump administration and a company giving up on offshore wind projects, following similar agreements with TotalEnergies and Duke Energy earlier this year. The Trump administration has been pushing to halt offshore wind projects, with President Trump expressing his disapproval of wind power in past speeches.
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German company RWE has agreed to abandon its offshore wind projects in the US after reaching a $1.2 billion payout deal with the Trump administration's Department of the Interior (DoI). The company will reinvest the money into conventional gas projects, including a $900 million liquefied natural gas export terminal project in Louisiana, and plans to invest approximately €17 billion ($19.6 billion) in the US over the next six years. RWE's decision comes after the Department of the Interior determined that there is no path forward for permitting wind projects in the US, despite 13 offshore wind leases being awarded to RWE off the coasts of California and Louisiana as well as in the New York Bight. The deal marks a win for President Trump, who has long been critical of wind power, and follows his administration's efforts to boost fossil fuel production.
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- Published
German energy company RWE has said it will abandon its offshore wind projects in the US after reaching a $1.2bn (£892m) payout deal with President Donald Trump's Department of the Interior (DoI).
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it → publish → Interior
RWE said that it will now reinvest the sum into conventional gas projects, including $900m (£669m) in a liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal project in Louisiana.
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it → say → Louisiana
"After careful consideration, it was determined there is no path forward to permit these projects in the US for the foreseeable future," the company said in a statement.
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company → determine → statement
Trump has derided wind power for years and often uses his rally speeches to rail against "ugly" turbines.
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Trump → deride → turbines
RWE said it has agreed to relinquish its leases off the California and Louisiana coasts as well as in the New York Bight.
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it → say → Bight
Overall, the German firm plans to invest approximately €17bn (£14.5bn; $19.6bn) in the US over the next six years "to grow its generation capacity".
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firm → plan → capacity
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement posted on X that Americans deserve an energy system built on common sense and not one dependent on "costly subsidies".
"We welcome RWE's agreement and voluntary investment in projects that strengthen our nation's energy security," he added.
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he → say → security
The deal is the latest the Trump administration has reached this year as Trump, a vocal supporter of the fossil fuel industry, continues his push to halt offshore wind projects.
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Trump → reach → projects
Trump has sought to boost government support for fossil fuels after campaigning for the presidency under the slogan "drill, baby, drill".
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Trump → seek → slogan
Days after his return to office, he said "we're not going to do the wind thing" and called them "big, ugly windmills" that were dangerous to wildlife.
And this week, he said that "any country with windmills is a loser".
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country → say → windmills
In March 2026, the DoI reached a deal with TotalEnergies putting an end to the French company's offshore wind projects in the US.
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DoI → reach → US
Instead, the firm agreed to reroute investment to build a LNG plant in Texas and to develop "upstream conventional oil" in the Gulf of Mexico.
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firm → agree → Mexico
The administration signed a similar $129m (£96m) agreement with Charlotte-based Duke Energy last month in exchange for the termination of the company's offshore wind lease in the Carolina Long Bay area.
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administration → sign → area
