Huffman: Trump’s Latest Billion-Dollar Payoff Kills More American Energy, Drives Up Costs, and Rewards Fossil Fuels

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) issued the following statement after the Trump administration announced yet another fake settlement using more than $1 billion in taxpayer funds to pay an offshore wind developer to abandon its job-creating clean energy projects and instead prop up fossil fuel exports.

“The most corrupt, lawless administration in American history is once again flouting the law and attempting to use over $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to kill off clean energy projects slated to create thousands of good jobs and lower electricity bills for Californians. Trump is strongarming companies into taking these illegal deals and abandoning offshore wind projects that would put huge amounts of cheap electricity on the grid and lower electricity prices. Instead, he is pressuring them to invest not only in dirty fossil fuel projects, but in LNG export facilities that push domestic energy prices even higher at a time when American families are reeling from skyrocketing costs caused by his reckless war of choice in Iran.

“One of the projects illegally canceled in this fake settlement is off the coast of Humboldt County in my district. The benefits of that project were tremendous — revitalizing the economy of a rural community, creating thousands of quality jobs, and lowering utility bills for families all across California. Like a mob boss, Trump tightened the screws on RWE and, shamefully, the company capitulated and went along with this sham deal that robs the American people and makes a mockery of RWE's stated commitments to clean energy. When these illegal, fake settlements are reversed by the courts and/or future congressional action — and they will be — RWE and others who participate in these charades will own every bit of the shame they deserve.

“These fake settlements have now reached the tune of about $4 billion. Trump is using the Judgment Fund as a slush fund to pay for it. This is the same pot of taxpayer money Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche tried to use for his so-called “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to pay off convicted J6 felons. Once again, we see this administration’s priorities laid bare: treating a fund that exists to resolve valid claims and liabilities as a massive personal slush fund Trump can use to reward criminals, kill off clean energy projects, and do virtually anything else that serves his personal and political interests.

“The deals are deeply corrupt and illegal. When the accountability comes, and I promise you accountability is coming, everyone involved in them will answer for it.”

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