Christine Ho, christine.ho@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. - Today, the Washington Post reported that one of Trump’s recent secret deals to cancel offshore wind projects and bolster fossil fuels will result in a pay day for one of Trump’s million-dollar donors to the tune of $900 million.
In August, the Trump administration announced a deal with German energy company RWE, in which the company will receive $1.2 billion in taxpayer dollars in exchange for the company cancelling its planned offshore wind projects and instead doubling down on expensive, toxic fossil fuels. Today’s reporting showed that out of the $1.2 billion payout, RWE is spending $900 million to purchase a stake in a massive liquefied methane gas (often referred to as LNG) project in Louisiana. The $900 million stake is being purchased from an Australian billionaire who donated a million dollars to Donald Trump’s campaign.
The payout to RWE is the fifth of Donald Trump’s attempts to sink the offshore wind industry by paying off energy companies. Sierra Club has supported lawsuits filed by states challenging the validity of these “settlements”.
In response, Sierra Club Senior Advisor Nancy Pyne issued the following statement:
“This is corruption, plain and simple. The Trump administration is making it clear once again that they have no plans to lower sky-high energy prices or address life-threatening extreme climate events. This administration’s priorities are to help out Trump’s golf buddies at Mar-a-Lago, and to line the pockets of the people who give his campaign millions of dollars.
“These egregious attacks on clean, reliable energy like offshore wind will only drive up electricity costs for us all. Sierra Club will continue to fight back and work to deliver a more affordable and cleaner energy future.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.