The Trump administration has effectively halted all onshore wind development in the United States, citing “national security concerns,” according to a report from the Financial Times. The move adds another front to the president’s ongoing campaign against renewable energy .
The reports indicate that the Department of Defense (the Pentagon) is holding up approvals for approximately 165 onshore wind projects on private lands . The affected projects span various stages of development, including those awaiting final sign-off, projects currently in negotiations, and even some that normally would not require any Department of Defense oversight .
Sources told the Financial Times that for months, wind developers have faced unexplained communication delays, canceled meetings, and vague statements that applications are no longer being processed . In early April, some developers received letters stating that the Pentagon is reviewing its processes for evaluating the impact of energy projects on national security, but no timeline for completion has been provided .
Trump has long expressed a personal disdain for wind turbines, frequently criticizing them as “ugly, expensive, and inefficient” . However, this halt marks the administration’s most aggressive use of the “national security” justification to block renewable energy, extending the fight to include a significant portion of the American clean energy pipeline that had previously faced fewer regulatory hurdles.
🛡️ The Official Rationale
Administration officials have loosely cited “national security risks,” typically revolving around radar interference . Federal agencies have noted for years that the large, moving blades of turbines can create “clutter” on military radar screens, potentially obscuring genuine threats or creating false targets .
Following the initial December 2025 pause on five major offshore projects, the Department of the Interior issued a statement saying the pause was necessary due to “emerging national security risks” identified in “recently completed classified reports” from the Pentagon .
Critics argue that this new action against onshore projects indicates the national security justification is a “pretext” to dismantle the industry entirely, rather than a genuine effort to address specific security gaps . The Interior Secretary had previously described offshore wind farms as a “scam” in public statements, unrelated to classified security reports .
⚖️ Industry and Legal Pushback
The halt has triggered swift backlash from clean energy advocates and lawmakers. The American Clean Power Association warned that these delays could cost billions in investment and derail state climate goals .
Democratic lawmakers have demanded a classified briefing on the matter, accusing the administration of “killing jobs and increasing energy costs” . Some of these projects are already partially built and generating electricity for the grid; halting them could threaten energy supply for data centers and other critical infrastructure .
The move is already facing legal challenges. Several developers have sued the administration over the December 2025 offshore halts, and judges have granted injunctions, allowing construction to resume while the lawsuits proceed . So far, those court rulings have not explicitly stopped the broader onshore hold-up detailed in the recent Financial Times report.