The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Monday local time that it is suspending all offshore wind projects currently under construction in the United States. This decision is based on a “recently completed classified report” from the U.S. Department of Defense, which determined that offshore wind projects pose national security risks.
Projects affected by this include:
The suspended projects span multiple international energy companies, with cumulative industry investments reaching hundreds of billions of dollars. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project alone represents an investment of $11.2 billion, with 60% of construction completed as of October.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum emphasized: “The primary duty of the U.S. government is to protect the American people. Today's action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid advancement of hostile adversaries' technologies and security vulnerabilities posed by large offshore wind projects near population centers along the U.S. East Coast. The Trump administration will always prioritize the safety of the American people.”
In a subsequent press release, the Ministry of the Interior further elaborated on the non-classified aspects of the risk assessment: Previous non-classified government reports had identified that the rotation of massive blades and highly reflective towers of offshore wind turbines generate radar interference known as “clutter.” This interference can obscure legitimate moving targets and create false targets around wind farms, disrupting the normal operation of detection systems.
This incident marks a significant escalation in President Trump's crackdown on offshore wind power. Trump has long held explicit criticism toward wind power. On his first day in office in January this year, he swiftly issued the “Wind Order” ban, announcing a suspension of offshore wind power-related permits and new lease agreements until the federal government completed a comprehensive review. However, on December 8 local time, a U.S. federal judge issued a ruling formally overturning President Trump's “Wind Order” ban, declaring the executive order “illegal” and revoking it in its entirety.
