The Trump administration’s $1 billion payout to a French energy company to walk away from U.S. offshore wind development is a novel approach against the industry that supporters see as creative, but opponents see as foolish and extreme.

In the first serious fallout from President Donald Trump’s early actions against offshore wind power, oil and gas giant Shell is walking away from a major project off the coast of New Jersey.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order temporarily halting offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and pausing the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for both onshore and offshore wind projects.