RWE U.S. Offshore Relinquishes Offshore Wind Projects in Louisiana
For Immediate Release: August 6, 2026
Media Contact: Lauren McKinnis, laurenm@sewind.org
Raleigh, N.C. - Today, RWE U.S. Offshore signed a settlement agreement with the United States Department of the Interior (DOI) to abandon its offshore wind leases in Louisiana, New York, and California in exchange for $1.22 billion in settlement funds. This settlement agreement is the largest buyout to date and another major blow to the U.S. energy economy and the offshore wind industry.
The RWE U.S. Offshore Gulf wind lease in Louisiana was the first federal offshore wind lease awarded in the Gulf. RWE purchased the lease for $5.6 million in October 2023. The lease had the potential to support up to 2 gigawatts of fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity, helping Louisiana meet growing electricity demand, adding diversity to the state’s energy mix, and bringing economic opportunity to Louisiana’s coastal ports and offshore energy workforce.
The Louisiana Offshore Wind Supply Chain Assessment conducted in 2024 by Xodus Group identified that offshore wind energy development in Louisiana could create 3,700 jobs in shipbuilding, manufacturing, installation and commissioning, and operations and maintenance. It identified 15 businesses already supplying goods and services to the domestic offshore wind industry, and 450-plus additional businesses in Louisiana poised to support the industrial supply chain.
SEWC’s Senior Program Manager, Madelyn Smith, released the following statement:
“Louisiana businesses have been instrumental in supplying expertise and services to jump start the U.S. domestic offshore wind industry. Building offshore wind in the Gulf is a significant opportunity to meet load growth and drive investment in Louisiana’s ports, offshore energy businesses, and workforce”
SEWC’s President, Katharine Kollins, said the following:
"We need to be adding options that support energy independence, not removing them. This decision walks back years of development and stymies economic opportunity for the state.”
Offshore wind offers stable, predictable energy for decades to come by bolstering energy independence and providing a hedge against more volatile fuels during extreme weather.
About SEWC
The Southeastern Wind Coalition is a 501(c)(3), nonpartisan organization that works to advance the land-based and offshore wind industry in the Southeast. We focus on providing fact-based information on the economic and environmental opportunities of wind energy, and encourage solutions that result in net economic benefits to residents and ratepayers. For more information about the Southeastern Wind Coalition, visit www.sewind.org