Trump Administration Immediately Stops Construction Of Offshore Wind Farms, Citing “National Security Risks”

Just before Christmas, the US Department of the Interior announced that all five of the country’s large-scale offshore wind projects that were under construction must be paused with immediate effect. 

They said the decision was made in light of a classified report by the Department of War that found “national security risks posed by these projects.”

“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Doug Burgum, Secretary of the Interior, said in a statement. “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. The Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.”

The five wind farm projects, which are in varying stages of construction, are located along the US East Coast: Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind off the coast of New York; Revolution Wind near Rhode Island and Connecticut; Vineyard Wind 1 off the coast of Massachusetts; and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind off Virginia.

Several of the developers behind the projects are fighting back against the White House’s decision. Danish energy giant Ørsted, together with their partner Skyborn Renewables, have filed a legal challenge against the move, which has halted the construction of their Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island. 

The companies say their permits were obtained in 2023 after nine years of reviews, consultations, and formal agreements. They argue that their project “faces substantial harm” from the suspension and that “litigation is a necessary step to protect the rights of the Project.”

Empire Wind and Dominion Energy have reportedly filed similar complaints for their respective projects.

The Department of the Interior did not detail the specific nature of the alleged security threat in its official announcement. However, officials have suggested that offshore wind farms could be exploited by foreign adversaries to launch attacks against the US.

The concern centers on the idea that large wind turbines could interfere with radar systems, acting like a cloak for incoming threats, such as drone swarms. Speaking to Fox News in December 2025, Burgum said: “If you wanted to attack a population center on the East Coast of our country, you would send a swarm of drones right through one of these wind farms.”

Some experts, however, don’t believe that this is a serious problem. They argue that these risks would have been taken into account when the developers filed for their permits and through the extensive reviews such projects require. Additionally, offshore wind farms are typically heavily monitored with surveillance sensors, ships, and personnel, making them unlikely targets for rogue actors. 

“An attacker will always choose the weakest spot, and trust me, a wind farm is not that,” Tue Lippert, a partner at Heimdal Critical Infrastructure who served in the Royal Danish Navy, according to Politico’s E&E News.

The latest move is completely in tune with President Trump’s long-standing personal disdain for wind turbines (or windmills as he likes to call them). It’s often said his opposition started in 2011 due to a “trivial spat” over wind turbines visible from his Scottish golf course, but this sentiment has bled deeply into his latest administration, which has weighed in heavily against the growing industry through regulations and the tearing up of permits.