Trump administration blocks 165 wind farms citing national security
▼ Summary
– The Trump administration has halted US onshore wind development, citing national security concerns, escalating its opposition to renewable energy.
– Approximately 165 onshore wind projects on private lands are stalled by the Department of Defense, including farms awaiting final sign-off, in negotiations, or typically not requiring oversight.
– Wind farms need Defense Department approval to ensure they don’t interfere with radar systems, a process that usually takes a few days.
– Since August 2025, developers have faced setbacks like canceled meetings and the DoD stopping application processing.
– Affected projects include 35 awaiting sign-off, 30 with verbal signoffs waiting for written confirmation, 50 in negotiations, and 50 previously considered risk-free.
The Trump administration has effectively halted U.S. onshore wind development by blocking approvals for approximately 165 wind farms, citing national security concerns. This marks a significant intensification of the president’s broader campaign against renewable energy.
According to the American Clean Power Association (ACP) and sources familiar with the matter, the Department of Defense is stalling projects on private lands. These include wind farms that were awaiting final approval, others still in negotiation, and some that would not typically require Pentagon oversight at all.
Routine approval from the Defense Department is standard for wind farms to ensure they do not interfere with radar systems. The process usually involves assessing risk levels and having developers pay for the military to update its radar filters so it can properly detect turbines. Some projects are cleared quickly if they are far from military bases or flight paths, with assessments often taking just a few days.
Since August 2025, however, developers have encountered a series of obstacles. Some have not received expected communications from the DoD. Others have had meetings about project status canceled without the chance to reschedule. Several have been told the department has simply stopped processing their applications, according to people with direct knowledge of the situation.
Among the affected projects, 35 had already completed negotiations and were only waiting for sign-off from the DoD. That development was first reported by Axios in March.
Now, the situation is worsening. An additional 30 projects that had finished negotiations and received verbal approvals are still waiting for written confirmation. Another 50 are currently in negotiation, and 50 more,which would previously have been deemed risk-free,are now facing shutdown, according to developers and consultants.
(Source: Ars Technica)
