AG Bonta Clashes with Trump Administration

CROSSWINDS: California is getting ready to take the Trump administration to court over its deal to make a major floating wind project off the Central Coast disappear.

Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that the state plans to sue Interior over its April agreement to cancel Golden State Wind, a 2-gigawatt project in Morro Bay that was expected to power about 1.1 million homes, as Niina H. Farah reports. Under the deal, Interior paid the developer roughly $120 million in lease fees, and Golden State Wind agreed to invest instead in oil and gas development along the Gulf Coast.

Bonta called the agreement a “backroom buyout” that undercuts California’s clean energy and climate goals. His notice of intent to sue starts a 60-day clock for the administration to address the state’s concerns before litigation can begin.

The California Energy Commission, which would join the lawsuit, has also been trying to get a closer look at the deal. In May, the commission subpoenaed Golden State Wind for its communications with Interior, saying it was seeking to protect more than $100 million the state has poured into port upgrades and transmission lines for offshore wind.

The fight is part of a broader Trump admin push to unwind offshore wind projects. Interior also reached deals last week to cancel four Invenergy projects, including one about 20 miles off California’s coast, and redirect the company’s investments towards geothermal and natural gas projects. The Energy Commission said Tuesday it is also subpoenaing a copy of the Invenergy settlement, which has not yet been made public.