Trump Administration Pauses Site Leases at Offshore Projects Under Construction

Written by Daniel Graeber for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

The Department of the Interior has suspended leases for under-construction offshore wind projects, citing national security risks.

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A 90-Day Pause

Major offshore wind leases for U.S. offshore wind projects are suspended immediately due to "national security concerns," the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said Monday. The leases are long-term site agreements for the location of the wind projects. The leases targeted are specifically for the five wind projects currently in advanced stages of construction and operation.

The U.S. Department of Defense said it uncovered national security risks in classified reports.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the order was necessary to protect U.S. citizens.

"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," he said in a statement.

Order is Light on Definitions and Certain to Face Legal Challenge

The order is not very thoroughly defined, including what this specifically means for projects currently under construction or operation. The order does not explicitly say that current construction, operation, or permitting are revoked. However, the order would suggest that approvals authorizing activities in the lease area are also suspended if the lease is suspended.

National Security Concern is Impact on Military Radar

The Trump administration has taken repeated actions against offshore wind since taking power in January. This time, the broadside against the industry is national security concerns raised by the potential for wind farms to interfere with radar operation. The DOI said that reports from the U.S. government have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers create radar interference called "clutter." The clutter caused by offshore wind projects obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets in the vicinity of the wind projects.

The interaction of radar and offshore wind were extensively researched while the projects were in the permitting phase and later received all necessary legal and binding long-term approvals and site permits. An area of legal challenge certain to lead is that the government has an obligation to honor fully executed legally binding permits and lease agreements.

Dominion Energy Incorporated (Richmond, Virginia), which is behind a 2,400-megawatt (MW) offshore Virginia project nearing completion, said it's the new moratorium that's the national security risk, given the uncertainty it creates in the energy sector. The National Ocean Industries Association added that the Defense Department had already vetted the now-sanctioned projects with no objections.

The pause is for 90 days. A federal judge had already ruled that previous efforts to pause offshore wind development were "arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law." For more on that, see December 17, 2025, article - Maryland Invites Bids for Offshore Wind Project, but Will Anyone Bite?

The following leases are paused:

• Vineyard Wind 1
• Revolution Wind
• The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project
• Empire Wind 1
• Sunrise Wind

Key Takeaways

• Major offshore wind leases for U.S. offshore wind projects have been suspended for 90 days due to "national security concerns."
• The leases targeted are specifically for the five wind projects in advanced stages of construction and operation.
• The Trump administration has taken repeated actions against offshore wind since taking power in January.

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