(Washington) The Trump administration announced Monday the suspension of leases for five large offshore wind farms under construction on the East Coast, due to unspecified national security risks identified by the Pentagon.
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The suspension, effective immediately, will allow the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind, to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to evaluate ways to mitigate the security risks posed by these projects, the administration said.
“The primary duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “Today’s decision is intended to address emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of affected adversarial technologies and the vulnerabilities created by the proximity of large offshore wind farms to urban areas on our East Coast. »
The administration has indicated that leases are suspended for the Vineyard Wind projects (under construction in Massachusetts), Revolution Wind (straddling Rhode Island and Connecticut), Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, as well as for two projects in New York State: Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind.
Officials said unclassified U.S. government reports indicate that the movement of wind turbine blades and the high reflectivity of the towers create radar interference called “jamming.”
The Trump administration’s decision comes two weeks after a federal judge struck down the president’s executive order blocking wind projects.
The judge said the attempt to halt virtually all leases for operating wind farms on federal lands and waters was “arbitrary and capricious” and violated U.S. law.
Judge Patti Saris of the United States District Court for Massachusetts overturned Donald Trump’s January 20 executive order blocking wind projects and declared it illegal.
Judge Saris ruled in favor of a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who challenged Donald Trump’s executive order upon taking office suspending leases and permits for wind projects.
President Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, particularly offshore wind, and favors fossil fuels for electricity production.
