The Department of the Interior announced it is pausing, effective immediately, the leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects currently under construction in the United States after national security risks were identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports.
According to the department, the pause will allow Interior, the Department of War, and other federal agencies to work with leaseholders and state partners to evaluate whether the identified risks can be mitigated.
“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said. “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 paused leases include Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, CVOW Commercial, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1.
Federal officials cited longstanding concerns outlined in unclassified U.S. government reports, which have found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective turbine towers create radar interference known as “clutter.” That clutter can obscure legitimate moving targets and generate false targets in areas surrounding offshore wind projects.
A 2024 Department of Energy report noted that while radar systems can raise detection thresholds to reduce clutter, doing so increases the risk that radars could “miss actual targets.”
The department said the action is intended to ensure national security risks associated with offshore wind development are fully addressed and that the federal government retains its ability to effectively defend the American people.
Read the Department of Interior Press Release
