Trump administration halts offshore wind projects citing national security
The U.S. Interior Department stopped work on several offshore wind projects and began buying back leases, arguing that the turbines pose a national security threat, a claim that courts have questioned.
The Interior Department announced a pause on construction of five major offshore wind projects on the East Coast and initiated the purchase of several lease holdings, citing classified assessments that the turbines could interfere with radar and sonar systems. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said a classified report from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that wind farms create false radar targets, could mask autonomous drones, and might affect undersea sonar.
The Department of Justice said defense officials provided the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management with classified information in November 2025 outlining new security risks, prompting the agency to halt work days before Christmas. Federal judges later reviewed the material and allowed the projects to resume, with Senior Judge Royce Lamberth expressing doubt that the national-security rationale was more than a pretext.
Critics, including retired Navy Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn and attorney Meghan Greenfield, argued that radar interference has long been recognized and mitigated, and that the administration’s actions appear aimed at favoring fossil-fuel generation. Economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth defended the security concerns, emphasizing reliance on foreign-made turbines.
Senator Jack Reed, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said a classified briefing did not convince him of the threat and urged a 180-day deadline for a military siting office to produce a thorough analysis of wind projects. The dispute highlights ongoing tension between renewable energy development and perceived defense considerations.