Trump Administration Halts 5 Major Offshore Wind Projects, Citing National Security Risks

The Trump administration on Monday suspended leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects along the U.S. Atlantic coast, citing national security concerns and sending shares of major renewable energy companies tumbling. The move is the latest blow to an industry that has faced repeated disruptions under President Trump.

According to Reuters, the U.S. Department of the Interior stated that the Department of Defense had raised concerns that the massive, rotating blades and highly reflective towers of offshore turbines could interfere with military radar systems, making it difficult to identify and track potential threats. The suspension impacts projects that were already under construction, amplifying the shock to investors.

"The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people," said Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in a statement. He explained the pause will give federal agencies time to "work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects."

The affected projects include Orsted’s Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Vineyard Wind 1, Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Equinor’s Empire Wind 1. In response to the news, shares in the Danish energy firm Orsted, which owns two of the projects, fell more than 12 percent. Dominion and Equinor also saw their stocks trade lower.

The National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), a trade group representing the developers, immediately urged the administration to reverse the decision. "Every project under construction has already undergone review by the Department of Defense with no objections," said NOIA President Erik Milito. Dominion Energy warned the suspension "will threaten grid reliability for its Virginia customers, including military bases and data centres powering artificial intelligence."

This isn't the first time the administration has intervened in offshore wind development. In August, it ordered a halt on Orsted’s Revolution Wind project before a federal judge lifted the ban. President Trump has long been a vocal critic of wind power, campaigning on a promise to end the industry while calling turbines ugly, expensive, and harmful to birds and whales.