On Monday, the Trump administration announced it would immediately suspend leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects along the East Coast, citing national security risks identified by the Pentagon. The move, effective right away, marks the latest effort to curb offshore wind as part of a broader push against renewable energy sources. The suspension follows a federal judge’s ruling two weeks earlier that declared President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects unlawful.
A Pause in the Wind
The administration said the pause will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess possible ways to mitigate any security risks posed by the projects. The statement did not detail the national security risks, called the action a pause, and did not specify an end date.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated, “The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” and added, “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers.”
Projects Paused
- Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts
- Revolution Wind in Rhode Island and Connecticut
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind
- Sunrise Wind in New York
- Empire Wind in New York
The Interior Department said unclassified reports from the U.S. government have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers create radar interference called “clutter.” The clutter obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets near wind projects.
National-Security Expert Responds
National-security expert and former Commander of the USS Cole Kirk Lippold disputed the administration’s argument. He said the offshore projects were awarded permits following years of review by state and federal agencies, including the Coast Guard, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, the Air Force and more. Lippold noted, “The record of decisions all show that the Department of Defense was consulted at every stage of the permitting process,” and argued that the projects would benefit national security by diversifying the country’s energy supply.
Judicial Reversal
Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts vacated Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order blocking wind energy projects and declared it unlawful. Saris ruled in favor of a coalition of state attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, D.C., led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, that challenged the president’s Day One order that paused leasing and permitting for wind energy projects.
Wind Supporters Call the Move Illegal
Wind proponents said the administration’s actions were illegal and an attack on clean energy. Ted Kelly of the Environmental Defense Fund said, “For nearly a year, the Trump administration has recklessly obstructed the build-out of clean, affordable power for millions of Americans, just as the country’s need for electricity is surging.” He added, “Now the administration is again illegally blocking clean, affordable energy. We should not be kneecapping America’s largest source of renewable power, especially when we need more cheap, homegrown electricity.”
Kelly also criticized the administration for propping up aging, expensive coal plants that “barely work and pollute our air.”
Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called the lease suspension a “lawless and erratic stop-work order” that revives an earlier failed attempt to halt construction of Revolution Wind. He said the project had been vetted and approved through every layer of federal and state regulatory process, including a careful review of security issues raised in the latest announcement. Tong remarked, “Every day this project is stalled is another day of lost work, another day of unaffordable energy costs, and other day burning fossil fuels when American-made clean energy is within reach. We are evaluating all legal options, and this will be stopped just like last time.”
Opponents Praise the Pause
A New Jersey group that opposes offshore wind hailed the administration’s actions. Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey, said, “Today, the president and his administration put America first. Placing largely foreign-owned wind turbines along our coastlines was never acceptable,” and argued that the projects posed serious national security risks.
The Conservation Law Foundation, a Boston-based environmental group, called the pause “a desperate rerun of the Trump administration’s failed attempt to kill offshore wind,” noting that courts had already rejected the administration’s arguments. Kate Sinding Daly, senior vice president for law and policy at the law foundation, said, “Trying again to halt these projects tramples on the rule of law, threatens jobs and deliberately sabotages a critical industry that strengthens – not weakens – America’s energy security.”
Key Takeaways
- Five offshore wind leases along the East Coast were suspended immediately due to national security concerns.
- The pause follows a court ruling that declared the president’s earlier wind-blocking order unlawful.
- Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited evolving adversary technologies and proximity to population centers as reasons for the suspension.
The administration’s decision to halt leasing of major wind projects underscores a broader policy shift away from renewable energy. While the Interior Department claims the pause will allow for a thorough security assessment, critics argue the move is illegal and detrimental to clean-energy progress. The outcome of ongoing legal challenges will determine whether the projects can resume development or remain stalled indefinitely.
