The US Department of the Interior has announced it is halting leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction due to national security risks outlined in classified reports. The move impacts five major East Coast developments totalling over 6 GW, including the 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, 800 MW Vineyard Wind 1 off Massachusetts, 700 MW Revolution Wind off Rhode Island, and New York’s 2 GW Empire Wind and 924 MW Sunrise Wind.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited vulnerabilities from turbine blades and reflective towers interfering with radar near population centres, exacerbated by advancing adversary technologies. The pause allows time for Interior, the Defense Department and other agencies to assess mitigation options with leaseholders and states.
The decision follows President Trump’s re-election emphasis on energy security. Burgum highlighted on X that one natural gas pipeline matches the output of these five projects combined, labelling offshore wind expensive, unreliable and subsidised.
Dominion Energy, developer of the largest affected project, pushed back, calling Coastal Virginia essential for Virginia’s surging demand from military bases, shipbuilding, data centres and AI growth. The 2.6 GW project remains on track for full operations in late 2026.
The action signals a sharp pivot in US offshore wind momentum amid competing priorities for grid reliability and defence. Developers now face uncertainty as federal reviews probe radar clutter, foreign supply chain risks and strategic coastal positioning.
