Trump Administration Orders Review of California Coastal Commission as State Fights 25-GW Wind Setback
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29
Trump Administration Orders Review of California Coastal Commission as State Fights 25-GW Wind Setback
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 29
Summary
NOAA is set to evaluate the California Coastal Commission under federal law, marking a new step in the Trump administration’s clash with California over coastal energy and development decisions.
A May letter from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pushed for the review, accusing the commission of obstructing spaceport projects; the department did not specify which proposals he meant.
The dispute follows the commission’s August rejection of a U.S. Space Force request to increase SpaceX launches from California’s central coast, a fight that led to a Musk lawsuit settled in April.
Energy tensions extend beyond rockets: the administration has used emergency powers to revive a California oil operation tied to a 2015 spill of more than 140,000 gallons, while state Attorney General Rob Bonta seeks to block it.
California is also battling Washington over offshore wind after a nearly $427 million grant was withdrawn, threatening a 25-gigawatt-by-2045 plan meant to power 25 million homes.