WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Monday it is immediately pausing leases for five large-scale offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast, citing national security risks identified by the Pentagon.

The pause represents the latest step in the administration’s push against renewable energy sources and comes just two weeks after a federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s executive order blocking wind energy projects, calling it unlawful.

The administration said the pause will give the Interior Department, which oversees offshore wind development, time to work with the Defense Department and other agencies to assess possible ways to mitigate security risks posed by the projects.

“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers.”

The statement did not detail the specific national security risks.

Radar Interference Concerns

The Interior Department said unclassified reports from the U.S. government have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and highly reflective towers create radar interference called “clutter.”

The clutter caused by offshore wind projects obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets in the vicinity of wind projects, the Interior Department said.

Expert Pushback

National security expert and former Commander of the USS Cole Kirk Lippold said the projects were awarded permits “following years of review by state and federal agencies,” including the Coast Guard, the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, and the Air Force.

Lippold argued that the projects would actually benefit national security by diversifying the country’s energy supply.

Industry Response

Wind proponents slammed the move as another blow by the administration against clean energy. Wind supporters called the administration’s actions illegal and said offshore wind provides some of the most affordable, reliable electric power to the grid.

“For nearly a year, the Trump administration has recklessly obstructed the build-out of clean, affordable power for millions of Americans, just as the country’s need for electricity is surging,” said Ted Kelly of the Environmental Defense Fund.

“Now the administration is again illegally blocking clean, affordable energy,” Kelly said. “We should not be kneecapping America’s largest source of renewable power, especially when we need more cheap, homegrown electricity.”

Kelly criticized the administration’s actions as especially egregious because it is simultaneously propping up aging, expensive coal plants “that barely work and pollute our air.”

Environmental Groups React

The Conservation Law Foundation, a Boston-based environmental group, called the pause “a desperate rerun of the Trump administration’s failed attempt to kill offshore wind,” noting that courts have already rejected the administration’s arguments.

“Trying again to halt these projects tramples on the rule of law, threatens jobs and deliberately sabotages a critical industry that strengthens — not weakens — America’s energy security,” said Kate Sinding Daly, senior vice president for law and policy at the law foundation.

Political and Economic Implications

The move marks a significant escalation in the administration’s campaign against renewable energy development. The affected projects represent billions of dollars in investment and were expected to provide clean energy to millions of homes along the East Coast.

The pause creates uncertainty for developers, investors, and the broader offshore wind industry, which had been expanding rapidly in recent years as states set ambitious clean energy targets.

Industry analysts say the pause could delay or derail projects that have already invested heavily in construction and permitting, potentially costing thousands of jobs and billions in economic activity.