· 52 comments · Save ·
Questions & Help Mar 17, 2026 at 9:30 PM

US weighs near $1 billion wind farm settlement for TotalEnergies, NYT reports

Posted by Short-Peanut1079

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/climate-energy/us-weighs-settlement-about-1-billion-with-totalenergies-blocking-wind-farms-nyt-2026-03-17/
🚩 Report this post

52 Comments

Sign in to comment — or just click the box below.
🔒 Your email is never shown publicly.
_WhatchaDoin_ Mar 17, 2026 +450
Now the US taxpayers are paying companies so they don’t develop green energy? Glorious days ahead!
450
Short-Peanut1079 Mar 17, 2026 +99
Same happened in Germany with early closure of the Nuclear power plants. Broke the contract and had to pay up. But here total promises to spend more on Texas gas development so win-win right? /s
99
Twodogsonecouch Mar 17, 2026 +18
This explains me seeing trump ramble about wind today. He was all about coal though not gas
18
phyrros Mar 18, 2026 +8
Germany is a slightly different Story as with most of the plants it was less of an early closure and more of a revoking lifetime extensions.
8
ithinkitslupis Mar 17, 2026 +35
Yup, paying for the sunk costs of the already in motion projects. And paying to build new coal plants for the first time in over a decade and retrofit old ones, which even for fossil fuels is stupid compared to natural gas combined cycle plants. Dirtier and 3-5x the cost per kW. I don't know if I can take all this winning.
35
Much_Guest_7195 Mar 17, 2026 +19
Same thing in Alberta, Canada. We'll kick our fascist piece of shit out next election, God willing.
19
emaw63 Mar 17, 2026 +16
Complete insanity to do this at the same time that Iran is demonstrating how vulnerable a country is when it's dependent on fossil fuels for energy
16
Charlie_Mouse Mar 18, 2026 +6
I can’t help but wonder how much of Trumps hatred of wind turbines is driven by [losing a court case to try to prevent offshore turbines being built in Scotland that were visible from one of his golf courses](https://www.lawscot.org.uk/news-and-events/legal-news/trump-loses-uksc-appeal-over-offshore-wind-farm-near-golf-resort/) a decade ago? They’re reasonably large installations but they’re also *over two miles out to sea* - visible from the golf course but that’s about it. The petulant and vindictive lashing out at renewables is very on brand for Trump however. Even if it cripples America. Incidentally the locals in Aberdeen are really not fond of Trump either given his habit of trying to intimidate and ride roughshod over the courses neighbours, the sewage pollution it causes and the investment and jobs promised never actually materialising. And they get their own back in various ways - like flying Mexican flags beside his course and repeatedly installing a “Jeffrey Epstein Memorial” plaque and other signs on the gate sign and elsewhere on the course.
6
Suspicious_Bicycle Mar 18, 2026 +2
Trump is claiming the US is the biggest oil producer in the world and it doesn't need oil from the middle east. So why are gas prices in America rising? Is it because Trump doesn't know what he's talking about?
2
kind_bros_hate_nazis Mar 18, 2026 +4
Worldwide sets the price
4
GrippingHand Mar 18, 2026 +1
The oil the US produces is not appropriate for automobile use. We sell it for other uses and import and refine a different type of oil for fuel.
1
dentz1 Mar 17, 2026 +589
We are one of the most moronic countries.
589
Xiaopeng8877788 Mar 17, 2026 +242
No snap or Medicare or Medicaid… but $1B for a payout and $15B in 3 weeks of war.
242
OkStop8313 Mar 18, 2026 +145
And the $1B is to avoid having clean energy alternatives to oil, while the $15B war is driving up the cost of oil. Greeeeaat.
145
gumgajua Mar 18, 2026 +24
Hmm, I'm starting to see the picture now
24
ReaditTrashPanda Mar 18, 2026 +11
Global war to pinch oil reserves and now we can have more Monopoly money than god, what’s the point of income at that level. Is working and achieving more wealth somehow better than using that wealth to maybe own more forest or save more whales or feed more humans. Why is the “more” always money…
11
ItzMaxamillion2U Mar 18, 2026 +9
A mental disorder I've heard. Maybe their parents were only proud when they brought them money.
9
dantespair Mar 18, 2026 +7
And then, as soon as a new administration wins, course will be reversed 180 degrees, sanity will reign, and the company will simply move towards restarting the project. They’ll be $1B richer, and the US will be further behind.
7
Loggerdon Mar 18, 2026 +3
Squeezing out the last dollars before oil goes away. Trump is canceling wind projects that are far along in order to open new coal plants in Alaska.
3
obalovatyk Mar 18, 2026 -6
and this is why I don’t advocate for higher taxes on the rich. The dipshit politician’s will piss it away on bullshit we don’t need.
-6
xdeltax97 Mar 17, 2026 +43
Idiocracy is coming true unfortunately
43
Pack_Your_Trash Mar 18, 2026 +7
Go away I'm bate'n!
7
facemanbarff Mar 18, 2026 +5
Idiocracy would be a welcome change from this reality.
5
Capt1an_Cl0ck Mar 17, 2026 +25
Yep, thanks to good old orange shit pants. Passed under previous administration he cancels them because he hates windmills and Biden. Guys a total idiot. We’re basically gonna pay out $1 billion and we kind of really need the power that would be generated by those turbines. Well, not to mention the $15 billion we’ve wasted fighting Iran. And the fact that we’re all now stuck paying higher gas prices probably for the next year or better.
25
Fallouttgrrl Mar 18, 2026 +8
Gas prices have a sticky effect Once you become accustomed to them at a certain level, the entire country shifts around to making that new level work, and it never seems to go back to what it used to be
8
heyhayyhay Mar 17, 2026 +29
We just have the most moronic "leader" in history.
29
WasteProfession8948 Mar 17, 2026 +20
Elected by a bunch of morons
20
yamirzmmdx Mar 18, 2026 +5
Morons that have more voting power and actually living off taxpayer money.
5
Janax21 Mar 17, 2026 +193
I work in offshore wind, or I should say, I did. This country is full of, and run by, absolute morons. OSW energy is c****, efficient, and is now being done all over the world except for here.
193
Ebi5000 Mar 18, 2026 +12
Ignoring developments in the energy sectors also works for germany... What do you mean our industry is dying due to very high energy cost?
12
serpix Mar 18, 2026 +15
Germany was bought by Putin when those decisions were made.
15
Comfortable-Face4593 Mar 18, 2026 +5
You have just got a new near GW development in Borkum Riffgrund 3 & Godewind 3 just coming up.  Germany finally smelling the coffee.   Those 2 wind farms are c**** as chips.
5
Tabbyredcat Mar 17, 2026 +61
China and EU are slowly but surely switching to renewable energies. In EU our oil consumption is in a downward trend since it peaked in 2006, and is predicted to continue decreasing in the next years. Nowadays we do depend on oil imports, but oil is not the future. US and Russia are betting on bread for today, hunger for tomorrow.
61
Ven18 Mar 17, 2026 +36
If the US spent the money we wasted on forever oil wars in the Middle East on green energy investment since 2003 we would probably be at 100% renewable by this point.
36
pmormr Mar 18, 2026 +23
We'd be at 100% renewable with the better part of a trillion dollars left over probably :'(
23
ViolettaQueso Mar 17, 2026 +32
His wind aversion is completely ludicrous.
32
PaulClarkLoadletter Mar 17, 2026 +31
Let’s be super clear here. The US isn’t weighing shit. Trump made a stupid decision and wants us to pay for it so he can save face.
31
WinterSector8317 Mar 17, 2026 +105
Burning a billion taxpayer dollars so the orange turd can destroy clean energy production 
105
chriskot123 Mar 18, 2026 +26
Paying a settlement to not develop green energy while we are also paying for a war that is driving up the cost of oil is f****** amazing. I love it here!! So much winning!
26
blankvoidoid Mar 17, 2026 +21
eh, it's only a billion. what else would the government use it for? helping to feed and insure lower income families? or more likely bombing iranian schools.
21
parker1019 Mar 17, 2026 +7
The idiocy demonstrated by this administration…
7
MelodicKangaroo1879 Mar 17, 2026 +3
Can we sue Don Pedo for his and his band of idiots personally for their stupidity? If only!
3
BrandenWi Mar 17, 2026 +4
Trump is as unqualified to pass judgement on the expense or efficiency of a wind farm as he apparently is to prosecute a war with Iran. And now the taxpayers are left stuck with the bill. For both.
4
SugarDue8160 Mar 17, 2026 +2
Who benefits? Just curious, which oligarchs benefit from this? Does anyone know?
2
Fit-Significance-436 Mar 18, 2026 +2
Guess whose by far the biggest wind and solar producer in the world, weaning themselves off oil, we have abdicated alternative energy leadership
2
ExF-Altrue Mar 18, 2026 +2
Ah, good thing the US didn't need the extra energy! It's not like they are building massive amounts of stuff that would make energy prices triple (and more) due to the increased demand, it's all good!
2
Ok_Sentence_5767 Mar 18, 2026 +2
Maga, more like MAWA, make america worse assholes
2
santz007 Mar 18, 2026 +2
American voters are in the finding out phase of FAFO
2
phosdick Mar 18, 2026 +2
Alternative headline...? >Stupid Trump Decision Costs Bigly
2
billypaul Mar 18, 2026 +3
So... now we're paying energy producers to not produce electricity.
3
DecelerationTrauma Mar 17, 2026 +1
I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.
1
Hopwater Mar 18, 2026 +1
I want a goddamn refund.
1
← Back to Board