DOI says companies agreed to reimburse taxpayers for two offshore wind leases

The Department of the Interior announced in its "Inside Interior" update that it reached two voluntary deals under which companies will reimburse taxpayers dollar-for-dollar for offshore wind leases the department said were not viable without subsidies. The department said the companies pledged to redirect investment toward liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The update framed the moves as delivering taxpayer returns and lowering energy costs. It described the cancellations as "voluntary" and said companies would shift investment "away from costly intermittent power and back to proven reliable American energy," language used in the segment. The department did not identify the companies involved in the deals in this segment, nor did it provide monetary totals or legal texts of the agreements; those specifics were not specified in the transcript.