Europe accelerates offshore wind as U.S. pays companies to abandon projects
A series of energy policy decisions on both sides of the Atlantic has exposed a widening divide between the United States and Europe over how to achieve energy security, with Europe pushing aggressively to expand renewable capacity while the Trump administration moves to dismantle it.
On March 26, the first subsea export cable for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm was connected from the North Sea seabed to the British coastline, a milestone for what will become the world's largest wind farm. Developed by Ørsted, the 2.9-gigawatt project off the Yorkshire coast is expected to power more than 3.3 million British homes when fully operational by late 2027.
Days later, France announced a sweeping 12-gigawatt renewable energy tender program centered on seven offshore wind projects totaling 10 GW, alongside 1.2 GW of solar and 0.8 GW of onshore wind. Reported by Reuters on April 2, the tenders include mandatory "resilience criteria" requiring bidders to limit components manufactured in China, with a maximum of four out of nine strategic turbine parts permitted from Chinese suppliers. French authorities described the initiative as "Made in Europe," aimed at reducing dependence on foreign supply chains. France's ten-year energy programming law, adopted in February, targets 15 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2035.
The contrast with Washington is stark. The Trump administration announced on March 23 that it would pay TotalEnergies nearly one billion dollars to abandon two offshore wind projects off the coasts of New York and North Carolina, which developers said could have generated more than 4 GW of electricity. Under the agreement, TotalEnergies will relinquish its federal leases, acquired under the Biden administration, and redirect investment toward liquefied natural gas production at the Rio Grande LNG terminal in Texas and oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
"We welcome TotalEnergies' commitment to advancing projects that provide reliable, affordable energy to reduce Americans' monthly bills," said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanné said the company was "stepping back from offshore wind development in the United States" and would channel proceeds from the returned leases into fossil fuel operations.
The policy divergence reflects deep domestic divisions. A Pew Research Center survey of 5,085 American adults conducted in spring 2025 found that 67 percent of Republicans now believe the country should prioritize fossil fuels, nearly the reverse of 2020, when 65 percent of Republicans said renewables should take precedence. Meanwhile, 86 percent of Democrats continue to favor wind and solar development. Overall, American support for renewables has fallen from 79 percent in 2020 to 60 percent.
The gap with Europe could not be more pronounced. While Washington compensates energy companies for exiting offshore wind, the United Kingdom is connecting the world's largest offshore wind farm to its grid and France is launching its most ambitious renewable energy tender to date.
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