Trump halts offshore wind construction, citing "national security risks"
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The Trump administration said Monday that it's immediately pausing all leases for offshore wind projects under construction due to "national security risks."
Why it matters: It's among the most sweeping broadsides yet against the renewable energy source that's most directly in President Trump's crosshairs.
- It follows billions of dollars in investments into the large-scale projects.
Driving the news: The Interior Department announcement alleges there are national security risks "identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports."
- "This pause will give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects," it said.
- It alleges that unclassified reports show that offshore wind can create radar interference called "clutter."
State of play: Interior identified five Atlantic Coast projects affected: Vineyard Wind 1 off Massachusetts; Revolution Wind off Rhode Island and Connecticut; Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind; and offshore New York projects called Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind.
What they're saying: "This is an incredible Christmas gift for our thousands of supporters — hard-working fishermen, small business owners, and families who value reliable, affordable energy over climate virtue signaling," Robin Shaffer, president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey, said in a statement.
The other side: "Trump's obsession with killing offshore wind projects is unhinged, irrational, and unjustified," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. "At a time of soaring energy costs, this latest decision from DOI is a backwards step that will drive energy bills even higher."
- National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito said in a statement: "The regulatory process involves a rigorous framework for assessing the national security implications of proposed projects, and every project under construction has already undergone review by the Department of Defense with no objections."
- Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) has pointed to the Pentagon's reviews of Revolution Wind in a 2023 Record of Decision and December 2024 letter stating it found the project "would not have adverse impacts to DoD missions in the area."
The big picture: Renewables backers say that the Trump administration is starting with the president's distaste for offshore wind — and working backwards from there to find reasons to thwart projects approved in the Biden era.
- The latest move arrives roughly two weeks after a federal judge threw out President Trump's January order against wind projects.
It also comes after the House passed a permitting overhaul bill, the SPEED Act.
- That bill was changed so it would allow the administration to exclude any project that the administration had flagged for reconsideration — something it has done for offshore wind.
- After the bill was changed, the American Clean Power Association withdrew its support for the permitting measure, saying it wanted "technology-neutral" legislation.
- Monday's action "is exactly why we need comprehensive permitting reform that not only streamlines approval processes but prevents this sort of politically motivated backsliding," Nat Keohane, president of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, said in a statement.
What we're watching: Likely court battles over the latest move.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from Sen. Chuck Schumer.
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