SACRAMENTO, United States, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- California and eight East Coast states filed lawsuits Tuesday challenging federal agreements that cancel offshore wind leases and provide payments to energy companies after they make corresponding investments in other energy projects.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the California Energy Commission sued the U.S. Department of the Interior and Invenergy, a California offshore wind leaseholder, over an agreement involving the cancellation of a lease in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area off California's Central Coast.
Under the agreement, Invenergy affiliates would invest over 111 million U.S. dollars in fossil fuel projects before receiving an equivalent federal reimbursement, according to California's complaint. The Interior Department canceled the lease in July, the complaint stated.
California alleges the agreement violates the Constitution and numerous federal laws, including the Administrative Procedure Act, the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act and the Judgment Fund Act. The state is asking the court to invalidate the agreement and the lease termination.
Separately, attorneys general from New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont challenged agreements involving three Invenergy leases and a Bluepoint Wind lease, according to their complaints. The agreements provide for federal payouts of more than 653 million dollars for the Invenergy leases and 765 million dollars for the Bluepoint lease.
The Interior Department said the agreements redirect investment from offshore wind toward natural gas and other energy projects that it says would provide more reliable energy and strengthen U.S. energy security.
California's offshore wind strategic plan calls for developing 25 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2045. The state said it has invested more than 100 million dollars in preparing ports, transmission systems and industries for offshore wind development.
