- The Trump administration has paralyzed 165 onshore wind farms
- Wind farms could have powered 15 million homes
- Trump promotes new fossil fuel projects and cancels renewable energy
The Trump administration has blocked the development of 165 wind farms across the United States, citing national security risks in its reasoning.
Onshore wind farms require Department of Defense (DoD) approval before construction can begin to ensure they do not interfere with radar systems, flight paths, or military installations.
Output from the blocked wind farms would have been about 30 gigawatts, or enough to power 15 million homes.
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The Department of Defense delays projects
The 165 wind farms included 35 developments that were awaiting final approval from the Department of Defense, some that were in the midst of negotiations with the Department of Defense and others that likely did not need approval from the Department of Defense, according to the American Clean Energy Association (ACP) and people close to the matter.
Developers have struggled to receive feedback and project approvals since at least August 2025, and the Department of Defense has failed to contact developers, canceled meetings without the option to reschedule, and halted application processing.
Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has made numerous attempts to block, delay or cancel green energy projects, previously stating that “we don’t allow windmills and we don’t want solar panels” and falsely claiming that wind energy is “the most expensive energy there is.”
The Trump administration has also been targeting offshore wind farms in areas managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, claiming that “windmills are driving whales crazy” and calling them “dangerous.”
More broadly, the Trump administration has made sweeping changes to the way fossil fuel projects are permitted, reducing approval times from several years to just 28 days. The administration has also earmarked $15 billion to reopen coal and natural gas plants shuttered under the Biden administration.
Through Ars Technique
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