The Trump administration paused five major offshore wind projects along the East Coast in December, citing national security concerns from the Defense Department. This action led to multiple legal challenges from developers and state governments, resulting in federal judges allowing construction to resume on four of the five projects.
Administration Halts Offshore Wind Projects
On December 22, the Trump administration issued stop-work orders and paused leases for five offshore wind projects. The stated reason for this decision was national security risks identified by the Pentagon and the Defense Department.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the action addressed "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 further cited unclassified U.S. government reports indicating that the movement of large turbine blades and reflective towers could generate radar interference, known as "clutter." This clutter, according to the department, could obscure legitimate moving targets and produce false targets near wind project locations.
The Defense Department had provided new classified information to the Interior Department in November regarding security risks. Matthew Giacona, a principal deputy director for the Interior Department, and Dale Marks, a deputy undersecretary in the Defense Department, indicated that this assessment included a discussion of the "rapid evolution of relevant adversarial technologies" and the "direct impacts to national security" that could arise from offshore wind projects near early-warning and radar systems. The administration stated that the pause would allow federal agencies to assess and mitigate these potential risks.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers commented that U.S. industries, including the defense sector, "cannot depend on the most expensive and unreliable form of energy." President Donald Trump had previously expressed opposition to wind energy, referring to such projects as "losers" and stating his objective to prevent their construction.
Affected Projects
The administration's orders targeted the following offshore wind projects:
- Vineyard Wind (Massachusetts)
- Revolution Wind (Rhode Island and Connecticut)
- Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (Virginia)
- Sunrise Wind (New York)
- Empire Wind (New York)
Many of these projects were reported to be significantly advanced in construction, with Vineyard Wind reportedly 95% complete and Revolution Wind 87-90% complete.
Industry and Stakeholder Responses
Developers and state governments responded by filing lawsuits, with some describing the administration's orders as "arbitrary and capricious" and "unconstitutional." Dominion Energy, a developer, stated in a court filing that the government's unspecified national security concerns were:
"a pretext for this Administration's purely political and irrational campaign against wind energy."
Companies involved in the projects stated in court filings that they were unable to mitigate concerns without specific information on the newly identified threats. The Department of Justice stated it did not plan to share classified information with developers during litigation. Orsted, a developer of Sunrise Wind, reported investing billions of dollars in its project and held weekly meetings with the Coast Guard where no national security concerns were raised. Empire Wind LLC indicated its project faced "likely termination" if construction did not resume by a specified deadline, citing disruptions to construction schedules, reliance on vessels with limited availability, and resulting financial risks.
Advocates for wind energy and regional grid operators raised concerns about the broader impacts of the pause. ISO New England and PJM Interconnection, which manage electric grids for the northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states, respectively, indicated that delaying or canceling these projects could increase power costs and jeopardize electric reliability, particularly during periods of anticipated demand growth. Connecticut Attorney General William Tong stated that the project's delay would incur "hundreds of thousands of dollars in inflated energy bills." Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, noted that blocking offshore wind development could potentially increase power prices and deter business investment.
Kirk Lippold, a national security expert and former Commander of the USS Cole, noted that the projects had received permits "following years of review by state and federal agencies," including military bodies, and suggested offshore wind could contribute to national security by diversifying the energy supply. Mitigation strategies for radar interference, such as funding radar upgrades for NORAD and agreeing to curtail operations upon military request, have been incorporated into some project plans.
Legal Challenges and Judicial Rulings
Developers and state governments initiated legal actions, leading federal judges to allow construction to resume for most of the affected projects.
Revolution Wind
On January 15, a federal judge allowed construction to resume. Senior Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia determined that the government had not adequately explained its decision to halt construction completely or provided sufficient reasoning for its changed position regarding national security concerns. The Revolution Wind project had previously been paused on August 22, also citing national security concerns, but was allowed to resume construction a month later by Judge Lamberth.
Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind
Judge Jamar Walker of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia granted a preliminary injunction, allowing construction to restart. The judge raised questions about the government's reasoning for the halt and stated that the Interior Department's order was overly broad concerning the Virginia project. This project is the largest offshore wind initiative currently under construction in the United States.
Empire Wind
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols also allowed construction to resume. The judge questioned why construction was halted if the primary concern was operational interference with radar systems and noted that the government's brief did not address key arguments made by the plaintiff.
Vineyard Wind
Construction recommenced, and the project was allowed to transmit power to the electric grid despite the administration's suspension.
Sunrise Wind
This project is awaiting a court hearing.
Rhode Island, Connecticut, and PJM Interconnection had also filed requests in court to support the respective projects.
Broader Industry Context
Offshore wind is identified as a potential significant energy source for the United States, particularly for densely populated East Coast regions. A 2024 Department of Energy study indicated the East Coast could generate up to 110 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2050, which could address high electricity costs and rising power demands, including those from data centers.
Industry representatives indicated that while court rulings allowed existing projects to proceed, broader administration actions had deterred the initiation of new projects, creating an uncertain environment for the industry. BloombergNEF forecasted a reduced offshore wind capacity by 2035, attributing this reduction in part to policy changes and the uncertainty created for the industry.