Offshore wind developer gives up lease east of Cape Cod in Trump pact

Less than two years after federal authorities awarded four commercial offshore wind lease areas in the Gulf of Maine — including three off Cape Cod's easternmost shore — one developer has agreed with the Trump Administration to give up one lease area off Cape Cod. The status of the two other lease areas off the Cape, secured by Avangrid, remain the same, according to federal records online on Wednesday.

Developer Invenergy has agreed to give up two leases it won in the Gulf of Maine auction in October 2024, the U.S. Department of Interior announced June 17. Invenergy's relinquished leases include one about 21.6 nautical miles from Massachusetts, and another roughly 46.2 nautical miles from Maine, according to the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, known as BOEM, which is part of the Department of Interior.

Invenergy's lease area, off Massachusetts, runs from waters off Truro to Eastham.

Avangrid's lease areas, which remain in effect, include a roughly 124,900-acre tract about 34 miles due east of the Cape Cod National Seashore and a second area immediately to its north. Avangrid did not respond Wednesday to an inquiry about its commitment to those leases.

A response from Gov. Healey
On Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey criticized the Invenergy agreement, arguing that it undermines a regional energy source that Massachusetts has relied upon as part of its long-term clean energy strategy.

"President Trump is spending billions of taxpayer dollars to stop the affordable, American-made offshore wind energy that we need to lower bills and create thousands of jobs," Healey told the Times.

"This is after he’s already been driving up energy prices with his war in Iran and tariffs. The truth is that New England’s offshore wind projects are powering our communities at a low, fixed price," she added.

Healey said the state is evaluating the agreement and possible responses.

"We are reviewing the legality of this action," she said. "Massachusetts is committed to working with Northeast states toward real energy independence and lowering bills for residents and businesses.”

In 2024, objections raised on Cape Cod

The lease sale drew significant attention on Cape Cod because it marked the first federal effort to lease floating offshore wind areas in the Gulf of Maine offshore of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.

In July 2024, the Cape & Islands Municipal Leaders Association, representing elected officials from all 22 towns on Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, submitted comments to BOEM raising concerns about potential impacts on fisheries, ports, transmission routes, future floating turbine development and the environment. Those concerns were submitted to BOEM during the federal leasing process.

In support of the latest Invenergy agreement

The Interior Department noted in the June 17 statement that Invenergy would "voluntarily terminate" its offshore leases, totaling $765 million, and redirect that amount "toward other domestic energy sources with the demonstrated capability to deliver reliable, affordable power." According to the agency, those investments are likely to include natural gas-fired plants in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri, along with geothermal projects in the western part of the country.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in the statement said the offshore wind leases "were sold under the assumptions that taxpayers would indefinitely subsidize costly, unreliable projects and that no national security concerns were implicated." Both assumptions have since been proven false, Burgum said.

"Under President Donald Trump, companies are shifting investment back toward dependable, secure energy infrastructure that can power our economy and lower utility costs," he said.

Invenergy said in the statement that the decision reflects a desire to focus investment on projects that can be developed more quickly.

"At a time of unprecedented energy demand, Invenergy is focused on delivering reliable, affordable energy for our customers and supporting disciplined investment at scale," said Daniel Runyan, Invenergy's senior vice president for development.

Cyr: Offshore wind 'derailed elsewhere' more of a concern

State Sen. Julian Cyr, D-Provincetown, said he views Invenergy's decision to step away from the Gulf of Maine as less consequential than federal actions affecting offshore wind projects much further along in development, including New England Wind and SouthCoast Wind, both proposed for waters south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

"This seems far less catastrophic than the projects that are derailed elsewhere," Cyr said, also citing sidelined projects off New Jersey and North Carolina.

While expressing concern about the broader direction of federal offshore wind policy, Cyr noted that the Gulf of Maine lease areas remain a decade or more away from construction and that future administrations could take a different approach to offshore wind development.

"Massachusetts is very dependent on natural gas for our energy, and we will continue to be until be until we bring alternative energy sources onto the grid," he said.

Cyr said he supports expanding non-fossil-fuel power sources, including hydropower from Quebec, as well as offshore wind. He is hopeful state leaders will continue pushing forward projects already in the pipeline, like New England Wind and SouthCoast.

"I hope you'll see us take action to support these projects," he said.

Govt. agreement with N.Y. offshore wind developer challenged

The government's agreement with Invenergy comes as Massachusetts and six other states continue to challenge a similar Interior Department agreement involving offshore wind developer TotalEnergies.

That lawsuit, announced June 2, centers on a major offshore wind lease in the New York Bight held by Attentive Energy, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies. According to the New York and Massachusetts attorneys general, the lease is located about 47 miles off the coast of New York and was expected to support two projects delivering power to New York City and New Jersey. The states argue the federal government unlawfully canceled the lease through a settlement agreement announced in March.

“President Trump has made his opposition to offshore wind clear for years, and this action reflects a continued effort to undermine clean energy development in favor of fossil fuel interests," Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said. "Massachusetts will continue to challenge illegal actions that threaten our economy, our environment, and our residents.”