Interior Secretary Doug Burgum defended a deal with French energy giant TotalEnergies to stop a massive US wind project, telling Democratic lawmakers that offshore wind development is detrimental to national security.
The Trump administration in late March agreed to pay nearly $1 billion to TotalEnergies to release the company of their wind leases, and direct funds to US oil and gas investments. Democrats questioned the deal’s legality and the push to prevent offshore wind development even amid rising energy prices and demand.
Burgum told lawmakers in a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Monday that offshore wind projects pose national security ...