CALIFORNIA — The California Energy Commission issued an administrative subpoena Monday to Golden State Wind, seeking documents and information about the company's recent agreement with the Department of Interior to end its offshore wind lease. The agreement involved Golden State Wind accepting a payout in exchange for voluntarily abandoning its lease for a floating offshore wind project proposed off California's central coast.

"The Trump administration is recklessly spending billions of taxpayer dollars on backroom deals that would turn back the clock on innovation. Californians deserve immediate answers about the nature of this payout. Taxpayer dollars should be used to build a sustainable energy future, not to pay to make projects disappear," California Energy Commission Chair David Hochschild said.

A letter from California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office to Golden State Wind says the state anticipates potential litigation involving the federal government and parties to lease buyouts impacting California's energy needs and offshore wind programs. California has invested about $100 million to support offshore wind development to accelerate the state's transition to clean energy and address climate change.

The Trump administration is spending nearly $2 billion to get energy companies to walk away from U.S. offshore wind projects. The Republican administration adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted President Donald Trump's efforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action.

Three agreements have been announced. The first deal under the strategy to end offshore wind leases was made public in March, under which TotalEnergies will receive $1 billion as a refund of its leases for offshore wind projects off North Carolina and New York. Under that agreement, TotalEnergies must invest the $1 billion in fossil fuel projects.

Golden State Wind and Bluepoint Wind agreed to end their offshore wind leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million. Those reimbursements are conditional on equal investment in fossil fuels. Both companies are co-owned by Ocean Winds, a joint venture of EDP Renewables and Engie. Bluepoint Wind was an offshore wind project in the early stages of development off the coasts of New Jersey and New York. Ocean Winds said it does not comment on open or potential litigation.

U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, and Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, are demanding information about the TotalEnergies agreement ending offshore wind leases.