Trump Halts Offshore Wind Projects, Citing National Security Concerns

WHO:

AP News - President Donald Trump’s administration, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Kirk Lippold (national security expert and former commander of the USS Cole), Meghan Greenfield (partner at Jenner & Block LLP), retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Dennis McGinn, economist Diana Furchtgott-Roth, Democratic U.S. Sen. Jack Reed of Rhode Island.

WHAT:

AP News - Trump’s administration halted work on major offshore wind projects and is buying back leases, citing national security concerns.

AP News - The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) halted construction on five major East Coast projects days before Christmas.

AP News - The Pentagon is also holding up the development of onshore wind farms.

WHERE:

AP News - East Coast of the United States, California.

WHEN:

AP News - Classified information detailing national security risks from offshore wind projects was provided to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in November 2025.

AP News - Construction on five East Coast projects was halted days before Christmas.

WHY:

AP News - The administration cites national security risks, including concerns about radar interference and the potential for autonomous drones to go undetected in wind tower fields.

AP News - Trump’s administration has a desire to boost fossil fuels for “energy dominance” in the global market.

HOW:

AP News - The administration is using classified reports and national security arguments to justify halting offshore wind development.

AP News - Radar systems can be adjusted to raise detection thresholds, which may lead to missing actual targets, according to the Department of Energy.

(UPDATED July 17, 2026 15:28 UTC)

President Trump’s administration has halted work on major offshore wind projects and is buying back leases, citing national security concerns related to radar interference and the potential for undetected autonomous drones in wind tower fields. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently stopped construction on five significant East Coast projects, while the Pentagon is also delaying the development of onshore wind farms, all based on classified information provided in November 2025. The administration aims to bolster fossil fuels for “energy dominance” in the global market, using national security arguments to justify these actions.