OAN Staff Blake Wolf
10:57 AM – Monday, December 22, 2025
The Trump administration announced the suspension of five major offshore U.S. wind farm leases due to national security risks identified by the Pentagon.
The announcement was made by the Department of the Interior (DOI) on Monday in a press release, stating that “national security risks” were identified by the Department of War (DOW) in relation to the offshore projects, citing “recently completed classified reports.”
The temporary holdup provides the DOI, the DOW, “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.”
The department pointed towards previous reports released by the federal government which found that the wind turbine blades have the potential to induce radio interference, concealing incoming moving targets while also creating false targets.
“Today’s action addresses 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,” stated Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.
“The Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people,” he continued.
The five major wind farm leases being paused are Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, CVOW – Commercial, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1.
The move to pause the wind energy leases comes two weeks after a judge struck down an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which would have halted all wind energy projects on federal lands and waters.
U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Judge Patti Saris ruled that Trump’s order was “arbitrary and capricious,” and violates federal law.
Meanwhile, proponents of wind energy criticized the Trump administration’s latest move to halt the leases, arguing that the move amounts to the federal government “kneecapping America’s largest source of renewable power, especially when we need more cheap, homegrown electricity.”
“For nearly a year, the Trump administration has recklessly obstructed the build-out of clean, affordable power for millions of Americans, just as the country’s need for electricity is surging,” stated Ted Kelly, the director of the Environmental Defense Fund.
“Now the administration is again illegally blocking clean, affordable energy,” while investing in coal plants “that barely work and pollute our air,” he added.
Other groups, such as Protect Our Coast New Jersey, a nonprofit advocacy group, supported the move by the Trump administration.
“Today, the president and his administration put America first,” stated Robin Shaffer, the president of Protect Our Coast New Jersey.
“Placing largely foreign-owned wind turbines along our coastlines was never acceptable,” he added.
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