Trump administration halts five offshore wind farms citing national security risks
The U.S. Interior Department suspended leases for five offshore wind projects on the East Coast, citing classified Pentagon reports on national security concerns.
December 22, 2025 - 07:10 PM ET • 2 min read
The Trump administration announced Monday that it was immediately pausing leases for five offshore wind farms already under construction, citing what it called national security risks identified by the Department of Defense in recently completed classified reports.
The suspended projects include Vineyard Wind 1 off Massachusetts, which is partially operational with about half of its 62 turbines sending power to the electric grid. Also affected are Revolution Wind in Rhode Island, Empire Wind and Sunrise Wind in New York, and a commercial wind farm in Virginia. Together, the five projects were expected to cost $25 billion and power more than 2.5 million homes and businesses.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement that "the prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people." He added that the decision "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."
The Interior Department cited unclassified reports from the Energy Department finding that wind farms can interfere with radar systems. The department said it would work with the Department of Defense to address the risk of wind turbine towers creating radar interference, known as "clutter," that could hamper U.S. military operations. According to the Interior Department, this interference results from "the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers" of the wind farms.
The suspension represents the latest disruption for offshore wind developers under the Trump administration. Shares in Danish energy firm Orsted, which owns two of the affected projects, traded down more than 12 percent following the announcement.
Trump has previously stated that he finds wind turbines ugly, costly, and inefficient. The administration is pursuing a broader pivot away from renewable energy. Several of the suspended projects had received funding or regulatory support from the Biden administration.
The halt takes effect immediately and effectively suspends construction on the projects already underway.