It’s been a turbulent year for wind projects in the U.S… and that’s putting it lightly.

On the one hand, there have been some big wins. Earlier this year, five offshore wind developers won their court cases against the Trump administration and were allowed to resume construction. Last month, the largest wind project in the country started generating electricity. In April, a federal court struck down the Interior Department’s debilitating new requirements for clean energy projects, earning the industry another legal victory.

Wind developers continue to fight through every setback—but the Trump administration refuses to leave them alone.

Earlier this week, the Financial Times reported that the Defense Department has been delaying approvals for onshore wind projects under the guise of national security, bringing more than 150 developments to a halt. Some of these projects were nearly finished, in early planning stages, or under negotiation. Others are on private land and don’t even fall under Pentagon review.

They’re using the same tactics they used on the offshore wind industry—not because they think they’ll work this time, but because they know they’ll at least be able to cause some devastating delays.

And that’s not even the biggest story this year.

The Trump administration has started paying companies to not only kill their offshore wind projects, but also invest what they receive in fossil fuel development. Three companies have already agreed to these conditions in exchange for payouts totaling nearly $2 billion.

That’s $2 billion in taxpayer dollars to bolster the very industry that’s driving higher electricity prices, jeopardizing energy security, and destabilizing our climate.

As always, the Trump administration argues that canceling these projects is necessary for national security. But they’re also insisting that these projects aren’t financially viable without Biden-era incentives, and that these companies deserve the chance to invest in something better.

Regardless of their justification, it doesn’t change the fact that these payouts aren’t lawful or constitutional.

Despite the fact that there has been no litigation involved with any of these companies, the Trump administration is planning to pay both with an uncapped federal fund used exclusively for court-ordered settlements. They’re treating it as a pool of money they can use to pay companies that agree to their terms, without worrying about restrictions or congressional approval.

Beyond that, the Democrats investigating the TotalEnergies payout identified three other legal failures—that the national security excuse was tacked on only after an agreement was reached, that the agreed-upon payment does not follow the formula established in Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, and that the agreement itself explicitly prohibits review by a federal court.

The law certainly isn’t on the administration’s side. And most of the public isn’t, either.

It’s the latest example of the Trump administration’s complete disregard for people and planet—of its relentless commitment to propping up the fossil fuel industry, no matter how much suffering or destruction they leave in their wake.

Let’s remind them that we’re not having any of it.

Join us as we take a stand against these payouts and fight for the clean energy future we deserve!