Jennifer Mcdermott

RWE U.S. Offshore agreed to a $1.22 billion settlement with the Trump administration to relinquish offshore wind leases for projects off New York, California and Louisiana, eliminating its entire U.S. offshore wind portfolio. The projects could have generated about seven gigawatts of electricity for more than five million homes. RWE will instead invest $900 million in a Louisiana liquefied natural gas project and $300 million in natural-gas turbines. The agreement brings federal spending on similar offshore-wind lease buybacks to roughly $3.9 billion. The administration says the strategy will improve energy security and affordability, while critics argue it subsidizes fossil fuels, increases consumer costs and undermines clean energy; affected states, including California, are pursuing legal action.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires affecting the US Northeast is expected to clear from New Jersey before the World Cup final due to thunderstorms that disrupted Spain’s training session. Air quality is forecast to improve from unhealthy for sensitive groups to moderate. Canada continues to face severe wildfire conditions driven by climate change, prompting evacuations. Donald Trump criticized Canada over the smoke and threatened tariffs, drawing responses from Prime Minister Mark Carney and Ontario Premier Doug Ford emphasizing climate impacts and cooperation.