Trump suspends all large offshore wind farms under construction, threatening thousands of jobs and cheaper energy

By Ella Nilsen, CNN

(CNN) — In the latest blow to the US offshore wind industry, the Trump administration announced Monday it is suspending the federal leases for all large offshore wind projects currently under construction, citing unspecified national security risks.

It marks a major escalation in President Donald Trump’s attacks against offshore wind, a form of energy he has long railed against. The suspension could impact billions of dollars of investment and stall nearly six gigawatts of new electricity set to come online in the next few years.

The new sweeping order impacts five projects being built in the Atlantic Ocean, including a massive Virginia offshore wind farm that could eventually be the largest such project in the nation. Set to be completed by the end of 2026, it would supply electricity to Virginia, the state with the world’s largest cluster of power-hungry data centers — and skyrocketing energy costs partially tied to that growing demand. Other wind farms impacted are off the coast of New England.

The exact national security risks of concern are unclear. In a news release, the Interior Department cited “national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports,” but didn’t say specifically what those risks were. The release also noted the potential for wind turbine movement and light reflectivity to interfere with radar.

In a Monday Fox Business interview, Interior Sec. Doug Burgum said the Department of Defense has “conclusively” determined that large offshore wind farms “have created radar interference that creates a genuine risk for the US,” especially “our east coast population centers.”

A Department of Defense official said it is working with Interior and other agencies to “assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects” but had no additional comment.

Last year, Sweden blocked the construction of new wind farms over concerns they could interfere with military radar, amid heightened tensions between the European Union and Russia. But experts have noted the design of wind farms can be adjusted to account for the issue, and it’s something US government officials have been aware of for decades.

Virginia Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, who serve on the Senate Intelligence and Armed Services committees, respectively, said the administration had “failed to share any new information” justifying the sudden pause.

“That silence speaks volumes, especially given the president’s longstanding, well-documented opposition to offshore wind,” the senators said in a joint statement along with Rep. Bobby Scott, also a Virginia Democrat.

In his Fox Business interview, Burgum said radar interference can “create real issues for trying to determine what’s friend or what’s foe in our airspace for our country” and suggested they could also create issues for commercial aircraft “given the proximity to all the large airports” on the East Coast.

The Trump administration’s move drew critiques from clean energy and fossil fuel groups alike.

“Companies with roots in the oil and gas sector have committed substantial capital to participate in the build-out of our offshore wind sector,” Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association — a group that represents offshore oil, gas and wind companies. “We urge the administration end this pause and to resist taking further action that may harm jobs and investment.”

Oceantic Network, a trade group representing offshore wind companies, said its member companies have worked with the Department of Defense for over a decade to address national security concerns.

The Department of Defense has “signed off on every offshore wind lease ahead of construction,” said Liz Burdock, the group’s president and CEO.

Burdock called Interior’s suspension “another veiled attempt to hide the fact that the President doesn’t like offshore wind,” and said the move would kill American jobs by the thousands and raise electricity prices.

“The US needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy, not an all-out assault on renewable energy based on personal preference,” Burdock said.

Burgum claimed offshore wind generates the most expensive form of electricity and said New England states should instead rely on Pennsylvania natural gas in his Monday interview.

New England states had planned a buildout of offshore wind in an attempt to get more energy to the region, which has limited infrastructure for electricity generation. It is literally the last stop of the nation’s natural gas pipelines and gets much of its natural gas shipped on ocean tankers.

Meanwhile, mid-Atlantic states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia have been seeing high electricity bills driven by their own electricity supply shortages. Just last week, the regional grid operator for those states announced prices hit a record high at a regional auction. Virginia’s Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has led a push toward vast offshore wind buildouts in an attempt to satisfy that state’s growing energy needs.

The Virginia offshore wind farm is 60% complete, according to a recent state report, and would deliver more than two gigawatts of energy to the grid — enough to power around 660,000 homes.

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