The Trump administration has brought onshore wind development across the United States to a near standstill by delaying Pentagon reviews for about 165 projects on private lands. The projects, which could generate roughly 30 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power millions of homes, are awaiting final approvals amid claims of risks to military radar and operations.

Developers must obtain Federal Aviation Administration clearances before construction, a process that forwards applications to the Department of War for national security assessments. Historically routine, these reviews have stalled since last summer, with delays intensifying in recent weeks. Meetings have been canceled, communications ignored, and even mitigation agreements, such as radar upgrades or turbine repositioning, remain unsigned by Assistant Secretary of Defense Dale Marks. The Pentagon described the evaluations as "inherently complex and time-consuming" in response to industry concerns.

Jason Grumet, CEO of the American Clean Power Association, criticized the process. "The Department of War is currently making it almost impossible to build a new wind project in the United States," he said. "They’ve just pulled the blinds on the offices that are obligated to do this work and are not responding to calls, and they’re canceling meetings." The group sent letters in March and April warning of financial strain on stalled projects.

The concerns center on potential radar interference from tall turbines, though experts note such issues can typically be resolved through collaboration. About 15 gigawatts of wind capacity have received clearances and are advancing, but the broader freeze affects projects at various stages, including those not near military installations.

This move follows earlier Trump administration actions against wind energy. In December 2025, the Interior Department paused leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects, citing similar security risks, but federal courts overturned the halts. The government later paid nearly $2 billion to developers to abandon some leases. President Trump has long expressed skepticism toward wind power, calling turbines ugly and inefficient while prioritizing fossil fuels to meet rising electricity demand.

The clean energy sector, which added over 90% of new U.S. grid capacity in 2025 and supported 1.4 million jobs, now faces uncertainty as power needs grow. Neither the Pentagon nor the White House has issued a formal statement confirming the delays.