USA, Washington: The Trump administration has suspended leases for five offshore wind projects under construction off the U.S. East Coast, citing national security concerns related to radar interference, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
The department said complaints from the Pentagon raised concerns that the movement of large turbine blades and the reflective towers supporting them could interfere with radar systems used to identify and track potential threats. The pause is intended to give federal agencies time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess possible mitigation measures. “The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a press release.
The suspension affects Orsted’s Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind projects, Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Vineyard Wind 1, Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Equinor’s Empire Wind 1. Shares of Orsted fell by more than 12%, while shares of Dominion and Equinor also declined.
State officials criticized the decision. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “The Trump administration will look for any excuse to continue its assault on clean energy — and the thousands of good-paying jobs these projects bring — but there is no credible justification for this stoppage.” Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said affected states were reviewing their options.
Industry groups also objected. National Ocean Industries Association President Erik Milito said the Pentagon had already reviewed and approved the projects under previous administrations. Dominion warned the pause could threaten grid reliability for Virginia customers, including military bases and data centers.
The administration has previously halted and later reversed construction on some offshore wind projects, reflecting President Donald Trump’s longstanding opposition to the industry.
Source: Reuters
