California on Tuesday sent a formal notice of its intention to sue the Trump administration to the Department of the Interior over the federal government’s decision to buy back a lease for a floating offshore wind project off the state’s central coast. State officials said the action is part of their effort to combat what they described as attacks on the state’s offshore wind industry.
The lease in question belongs to Golden State Wind, a proposed floating wind farm off California’s central coast. The administration reached a deal with the developer to terminate the lease, a move California officials said justified legal action.
California’s commitment to offshore wind is driven by the resource’s potential to generate large amounts of clean electricity from strong, consistent winds off its coastline. The state’s energy strategy targets 25 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2045 — enough electricity to power roughly 25 million homes and provide about 13% of California’s total electricity supply, state officials said.
The notice of intent to sue is a procedural step before filing a lawsuit in federal court.