WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Monday it is pausing leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction on the East Coast, citing unspecified national security risks identified by the Pentagon.
The pause is effective immediately and allows the Interior Department, responsible for overseeing offshore wind development, to collaborate with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess and mitigate potential security risks from these projects. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stressed, “The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people.” He stated that the action addresses emerging national security risks, particularly the evolving capabilities of adversarial technologies and the vulnerabilities posed by sizable offshore wind projects near major east coast population centers.
Leases are now paused for several prominent projects, including Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, Revolution Wind in Rhode Island and Connecticut, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, as well as two projects in New York: Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind.
The Interior Department noted that reports from the U.S. government have indicated that the movement of large turbine blades, as well as the reflective nature of the towers, creates radar interference referred to as “clutter.” This clutter complicates legitimate target detection and can generate false targets near wind projects.
This decision follows a federal court ruling that overturned President Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects. Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts concluded that the effort to halt nearly all leasing of wind farms on federal lands and waters was “arbitrary and capricious” and contrary to U.S. law. Saris's ruling came after a coalition of 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, challenged Trump’s Day One executive order that paused leasing and permitting for wind energy projects.
Historically, Trump has demonstrated a hostile stance towards renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, prioritizing fossil fuel energy sources.
