Trump Administration to Pay $1 Billion to Energy Giant to Cancel Wind Farms

New York Times
by Maxine Joselow and Brad Plumer
March 23, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

The Trump administration will pay $1 billion to cancel renewable energy projects while funding fossil fuel expansion instead.

How This Affects You

Taxpayer dollars are being used to subsidize fossil fuel development instead of renewable energy, potentially affecting long-term energy costs and environmental conditions.

AI Summary

The Trump administration will pay $1 billion to French energy company TotalEnergies to cancel wind farm projects, according to the headline and excerpt. In exchange, TotalEnergies would redirect investment toward oil and natural gas development in Texas and other locations. The deal reflects the administration's stated priority of scaling back renewable energy development in favor of fossil fuel expansion. This arrangement requires congressional approval or executive authority to execute, and signals a significant shift in federal energy policy from the previous administration's clean energy investments. The move comes as the Trump administration has moved to curtail environmental regulations and accelerate domestic oil and gas production.

What's Being Done

The deal requires congressional approval or executive authority to execute.

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