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US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

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Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#201

Post by AnthonyMouse »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #168
standardUser wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are taking money committed to a wind project and redirecting it towards burning fossil fuels - because what other lesson can we take from a global energy shock other than to increase our exposure to the next one? The company itself (France's Total) had already committed to the wind deal, so now the Trump admin is letting them off the hook, and using Trump's irrational refusal to issue licenses for wind power as…

[flagged]

> And even if there were, are you (tax payers) prepared to buy it for me, because I’m not due for an upgrade for about another 400,000 kilometres.

400,000 km is around two years for a commercial driver, isn't it?

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#202

Post by nieve »

Ajedi32 wrote: post #179
cwal37 wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"ideological subsidies" for this administration means any policy supporting non-thermal and non-battery (to a lesser extent, although their lobby has pretty successfully extracted them from previous renewable associations they relied on) generating units. To get more specific, you could say everything rolled back from the IRA as part of the BBB.

If it's just BBB they're referring to then I would call that a political talking point since that doesn't seem directly related to this deal. Unless the subsidies being repealed explains why TotalEnergies seems happy to get out of the lease now even though they presumably thought it was a good deal for them back when they originally agreed to it. If that's true though then I don't know why neither the article nor the…

They were stuck in a never-ending series of legal battles because the current administration is trying to block all wind power, so their money was not actually going anywhere useful. Coincidentally Trump hates wind power and is still bringing up his golf course having some offshore wind near it after years.

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#203

Post by senordevnyc »

tsunamifury wrote: post #72
paxys wrote: post #65

Serious question, but not entirely related to the topic - how are “smart” people in the US preparing for the next 20-30 years? - Assume everything will be fine and America will remain a global economic superpower. - Plan an exit to a more serious, stable country. - Some option in the middle of the two to hedge your bets?

Please list the more serious and stable country if America collapses. I’ll wait. On a serious note; I’m looking at my billion dollar neighbors and they all just are citizens everywhere now. No allegiance to anything but their own pleasure.

Please list the more serious and stable country if America collapses.

Uh, anywhere that hasn't collapsed?

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#204

Post by AnthonyMouse »

genthree wrote: post #144
jmward01 wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The symbolism, and the stupidity, was there though. As time has gone on it has been more clear every year how intelligent Carter's administration was and how terrible the following administration was. Investing in/promoting solar was just one of many smart moves by Carter that were attacked purely to gain political points that only harmed us in the long run.

Carter: “This energy crisis shows us how vulnerable we are to foreign autocrats. We should work toward energy independence via renewable energy and waste reduction, to lead the world away from this risky and unsustainable fossil fuel market and secure ourselves a brighter future.” America: throws a decades-long, ongoing tantrum It’s fairly reductive… but still kinda true.

To be fair, he was essentially wrong about the efficiency angle because of the Jevons paradox and the "make your dryer not actually dry your clothes" kind of thing was pretty stupid.

A lot of the methods of subsidizing things were also quite incompetent, e.g. Solyndra. If you want to subsidize something like this you do it on the consumer side, e.g. 75% tax credit for every US-made solar panel you install, which drives demand for US-made solar panels without opening you up to scandals like that or the usual corruption where the money goes to the administration's buddies.

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#205

Post by lovich »

TheSpiceIsLife wrote: post #168
standardUser wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They are taking money committed to a wind project and redirecting it towards burning fossil fuels - because what other lesson can we take from a global energy shock other than to increase our exposure to the next one? The company itself (France's Total) had already committed to the wind deal, so now the Trump admin is letting them off the hook, and using Trump's irrational refusal to issue licenses for wind power as…

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You know if demand goes down for fossil fuels because the grid is powered by renewables then the cost would decrease right?

Also “kilometers”? “petrol tank”? Thanks for holding three fingers up and letting me know you’re cosplaying as an American

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#206

Post by Erem »

greeneggs wrote: post #189
Mashimo wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But it gets traded globally. That means if the price goes up in Asia, it also goes up in NA.

It doesn't have to be traded globally. The US could ban oil and gas exports, and that would decouple local prices from the global market.

tbh I’m kind of surprised the admin hasn’t enacted export tariffs on oil and gas already to take the pressure off car owners.

Wouldn’t do anything to the prices of imported products since the entire intl supply chain would be subject to even higher prices, but would reduce pressure at the pump

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#207

Post by tw04 »

Ajedi32 wrote: post #71

HN title (currently reads "US govt pays TotalEnergies nearly $1B to stop US offshore wind projects") is editorialized and it's unclear to me whether it's accurate. The article says: > We're partnering with TotalEnergies to unleash nearly $1 billion that was tied up in a lease deposit that was directed towards the prior administration's subsidies What's the deal with this lease deposit and how does "freeing it up" equ…

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/trumps-latest-anti-w...

They only get the money if they reinvest in oil and gas. It’s not just trying to kill wind, it’s actively trying to expand burning fossil fuels. We are being lead to our demise by idiots.

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#208

Post by ok_dad »

tw04 wrote: post #207
Ajedi32 wrote: post #71

HN title (currently reads "US govt pays TotalEnergies nearly $1B to stop US offshore wind projects") is editorialized and it's unclear to me whether it's accurate. The article says: > We're partnering with TotalEnergies to unleash nearly $1 billion that was tied up in a lease deposit that was directed towards the prior administration's subsidies What's the deal with this lease deposit and how does "freeing it up" equ…

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/trumps-latest-anti-w... They only get the money if they reinvest in oil and gas. It’s not just trying to kill wind, it’s actively trying to expand burning fossil fuels. We are being lead to our demise by idiots.

> We are being lead to our demise by idiots.

They aren't idiots, they are evil. They know what they are doing; enriching themselves and hoarding political power and resources. Claiming these folks are dumb rather than evil propagates the idea that we should give them some sort of leeway. In fact, we should have sent these clowns to prison 5 years or more ago.

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#209

Post by softwaredoug »

evan_ wrote: post #197
softwaredoug wrote: post #110

It’s not as big of a deal as it sounds. Theses wind farms have not even started construction yet. Once Don Quixote is out of office, some future administration undoubtedly will start wind farm construction.

I'm actually less concerned about the continued non-existence of a bunch of windmills, vs the billion-dollar payout to ensure that they continue to not exist. I've spent my entire life not building any windmills and nobody's paid me a billion dollars for it yet.

It’s a refund for buying the lease, not a payout.

Re: US and TotalEnergies reach 'nearly $1B' deal to end offshore wind projects

#210

Post by ryoshoe »

tw04 wrote: post #207
Ajedi32 wrote: post #71

HN title (currently reads "US govt pays TotalEnergies nearly $1B to stop US offshore wind projects") is editorialized and it's unclear to me whether it's accurate. The article says: > We're partnering with TotalEnergies to unleash nearly $1 billion that was tied up in a lease deposit that was directed towards the prior administration's subsidies What's the deal with this lease deposit and how does "freeing it up" equ…

https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/03/trumps-latest-anti-w... They only get the money if they reinvest in oil and gas. It’s not just trying to kill wind, it’s actively trying to expand burning fossil fuels. We are being lead to our demise by idiots.

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