The Trump administration ordered a suspension of five offshore wind power projects, citing concerns that they may hinder military effectiveness in safeguarding national security.
On Monday, 22 Dec 2025 GMT+7, the U.S. announced a temporary suspension of lease contracts for five large offshore wind power projects under construction along the East Coast, citing national security concerns. This led to significant drops in the stock prices of major developing companies.
The decision under President Donald Trump's administration represents the latest obstacle for this industry, which has repeatedly faced disruptions. Trump campaigned on a promise to end offshore wind development, arguing that these turbines are costly, inefficient, and spoil scenic views.
Shares of Orsted, the Danish energy giant owning two affected projects, fell more than 12% during morning trading, while other developers involved, such as Dominion Energy and Equinor, also saw their stock prices decline.
The U.S. Department of the Interior stated that the Department of Defense (Pentagon) expressed concerns that the large turbine blades' movement and the highly reflective towers supporting them could interfere with military radar systems, complicating the detection and tracking of potential threats.
“The primary duty of the U.S. government is to protect the American people,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum in the statement announcing the suspension.
The department added that the temporary suspension aims to allow federal agencies time to work with leaseholders and state authorities to assess whether the national security risks posed by these projects can be mitigated.
The affected projects include Orsted’s Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ Vineyard Wind 1, Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, and Equinor’s Empire Wind 1.
Industry groups have called on the U.S. government to promptly lift the suspension, arguing that these projects have already undergone thorough national security reviews and warning that the halt could threaten the stability of the power grid in several U.S. regions.
The Trump administration has consistently targeted offshore wind projects. In August, it ordered Orsted to stop construction of the Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island’s coast, though a federal judge later overturned that ban.
Earlier this year, a suspension order on Equinor’s Empire Wind project was eased as part of a compromise agreement with New York State linked to a natural gas pipeline project supported by Trump.
This uncertainty has placed heavy pressure on project developers. Previously, Orsted had to raise billions of dollars to strengthen its financial position in U.S. projects after potential partners withdrew amid policy volatility and the administration’s hostile stance toward wind energy.
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Source:cna