Three major offshore wind developers have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, seeking to reverse a Department of the Interior order that halted five projects worth a combined $25 billion. These projects, located off the Eastern Seaboard, are designed to generate 6 gigawatts of electricity upon completion. The legal challenges come after the December 22 stop-work order, which developers Ørsted, Equinor, and Dominion Energy are fighting to overturn.
Last week, Ørsted and Equinor initiated legal action, filing preliminary injunctions on Thursday and Friday respectively. Ørsted is behind the 704-megawatt Revolution Wind project, while Equinor is developing the 2-gigawatt Empire Wind. Dominion Energy also filed a lawsuit on December 23 concerning its 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm. These projects are already significantly underway, with Revolution Wind nearly 90% complete, and Empire Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind each approximately 60% finished. Dominion Energy reported daily losses of $5 million due to the halt.
Notably, Avangrid, developer of Vineyard Wind 1, has not yet filed a lawsuit, despite nearly half of its project already being operational.
National Security Concerns Cited
The Department of the Interior cited unspecified national security concerns as the basis for its decision to halt construction. While no specifics were provided, the Trump administration's concerns likely relate to the potential interference of wind turbines with radar operations. A February 2024 report from the Department of Energy had previously discussed this security challenge and potential solutions.
Wind turbine blades are known to disrupt radar systems, but government and private sector researchers have been working on mitigation strategies for over a decade. Strategic site selection for wind energy projects is a primary method to reduce interference. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) collaborates with the Military Aviation and Installation Assurance Siting Clearinghouse to "review each proposed offshore wind project on a project-by-project basis, and would attempt to de-conflict concerns related to individual projects or multiple projects," according to Vineyard Wind 1's environmental impact statement.
Technological Solutions and Precedents
Advances in radar technology offer solutions, with newer systems capable of filtering out wind farm noise using adaptive processing algorithms, as Rand Corporation senior engineer Nicholas O’Donoughue previously told TechCrunch. For instance, Vineyard Wind 1 has committed to helping fund radar adaptations and agreed to curtail operations if requested by the Pentagon.
This isn't the first time the Trump administration has interfered with offshore wind development. Earlier last year, it paused work on Empire Wind and Revolution Wind, in addition to halting approvals for new projects. The Empire Wind project subsequently restarted after negotiations between New York State and the administration, while a federal judge overturned the stop-work order for Revolution Wind.
