Trump administration pauses all offshore wind projects, citing national security risks

Offshore wind farms pose national security risks and will be halted while the government reviews ongoing projects, Trump administration officials announced Monday.

The move is a blow to green energy groups and the struggling offshore wind industry. It aligns with President Trump’s deep opposition to wind turbines, which he promised to block when he took office.

“Due to national security concerns identified by the Department of War, Interior is pausing leases for five expensive, unreliable, heavily subsidized offshore wind projects,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “One natural gas pipeline supplies as much energy as these five projects combined. The president is bringing common sense back to energy policy and putting security first.”

Mr. Burgum cited classified reports warning that large turbine blades used to generate wind power can interfere with radar signals, creating phantom targets or making it difficult to detect moving objects.

The classified analysis follows a Government Accountability Office report issued this year that cited several potential problems associated with the projects, among them the impact of highly reflective steel turbines on defense and radar systems.

“Wind turbines can reduce the performance of radar systems used for defense and maritime navigation and safety in several ways. These include reducing detection sensitivity, obscuring potential targets, and generating false targets,” said the report, citing an Energy Department analysis. “In addition, offshore wind energy development may affect larger military exercises by obstructing flight and surface and subsurface vessel movement, according to Department of Defense officials.”

The announcement will halt, at least temporarily, five ongoing projects: Vineyard Wind 1, located off the coast of Massachusetts; Revolution Wind, situated off the shores of Rhode Island and Connecticut; CVOW, currently under construction off the coast of Virginia; and two New York offshore wind projects, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind.

Aside from two small offshore wind projects in New England, no wind turbines have been erected along the Eastern Seaboard. However, planning and construction have been underway for millions of acres of offshore wind farms, stretching from Maine to North Carolina, that would provide 18,000 megawatts of power.

Offshore wind opponents celebrated the announcement after working for years to stop wind farms that they say will harm marine life and hurt the tourism and fishing industries.

Opponents argue that underwater surveys, which involve blasting air guns into the ocean floor, and other preparatory work for wind turbine installations are disturbing whale migration and feeding patterns, causing the massive mammals to become injured or stranded on shore.

“This is an incredible Christmas gift for our thousands of supporters — hardworking fishermen, small-business owners and families who value reliable, affordable energy over climate virtue signaling,” said Empire Wind opponent Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey. “We are grateful to the president for this decision, which will allow states and public utilities to return to proven, low-cost electricity generation. Offshore wind was never the answer.”

Green energy groups have accused Mr. Trump of killing clean energy jobs and prioritizing the fossil fuel industry. The Biden administration sought to expedite the approval of offshore wind projects in an effort to transition the nation to net-zero emissions.

The Sierra Club, responding to Mr. Burgum’s announcement, said cutting off the projects “is an attack on our economy and on our public health.”

New England lawmakers, all Democrats, vowed to challenge the order in court.

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said the Revolution Wind project is nearing completion and providing good-paying jobs. Company officials say the project is slated to be fully operational next year. Its 65 turbines will be capable of powering more than 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut.

“Businesses and residents deserve economic predictability, yet with the administration’s constant stops and starts, they’re left with the opposite, so the one thing the people of Connecticut can count on is that we will stand up to the Trump administration and ensure this project continues to move forward,” Mr. Lamont said.

The projects are expensive to construct and maintain, and the costs will eventually be passed along to ratepayers.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright said offshore wind is the most expensive form of energy on the planet.

Proponents argue that offshore wind is necessary to bolster the strained electricity grid.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statement Monday challenging Mr. Burgum’s rationale for stopping the projects.

“The real threat to national security is in undermining our energy independence,” she said. “We are working with other impacted states to review every available option to get these projects back on track.”

The National Ocean Industries Association, which represents offshore wind companies, issued a statement urging the Trump administration to lift the pause as quickly as possible. President Erik Milito said all the ongoing wind projects have been reviewed by the Defense Department “with no objections.”

The U.S. must have a strong offshore wind energy industry to compete with China, which operates 129 offshore wind farms, he said.

“Offshore wind improves our national security by shifting economic, infrastructure and geopolitical advantages to the U.S. through increased shipbuilding, enhancements to our ports, greater energy security to power surging electricity demand, more manufacturing and good-paying jobs, additional business for the oil and gas supply chain, and collaborative opportunities for our military,” Mr. Milito said.