Offshore Wind Developers Take Legal Action After $25B in Projects Halted
Three major offshore wind developers have launched lawsuits against the Trump administration following a decision by the Department of the Interior (DOI) to halt five projects valued at a combined $25 billion on December 22. If fully completed, these projects would produce a total of 6 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, a significant boost for the U.S. renewable energy sector.
Lawsuits Filed by Ørsted, Equinor, and Dominion Energy
Ørsted and Equinor filed lawsuits on Thursday and Friday last week, respectively. Ørsted is developing the 704-megawatt (MW) Revolution Wind project, while Equinor is behind the 2-GW Empire Wind project. Dominion Energy followed on December 23 with a suit concerning its 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm.
According to company reports, Revolution Wind is nearly 90% complete. Empire Wind and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind are each around 60% finished. Dominion Energy noted that the construction pause is costing the company approximately $5 million per day.
Avangrid, which is developing the Vineyard Wind 1 project, has yet to file a lawsuit. Roughly half of that project is already operational.
National Security Cited as Reason for Halting Projects
The DOI cited national security concerns as the reason for suspending construction, though specific details were not disclosed. Analysts suggest the Trump administration may be referencing the longstanding challenge that wind turbines pose to radar operations.
In February 2024, the Department of Energy issued a report discussing the potential security concerns of offshore wind farms, while also proposing solutions to mitigate them.
Wind turbines’ spinning blades can interfere with radar systems, but both government and private-sector researchers have been developing strategies to address these issues for over a decade.
Mitigating Radar Interference
Site selection remains a key strategy for reducing radar interference. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) coordinates 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.
Advances in radar technology also play a role. Newer radar systems can filter noise from wind farms using adaptive processing algorithms, explained Rand Corporation senior engineer Nicholas O’Donoughue to TechCrunch. For example, Vineyard Wind 1 agreed to help fund radar upgrades and to temporarily curtail operations when requested by the Pentagon.
Previous Halts and Resumptions
The Trump administration had previously paused approvals for new offshore wind projects, in addition to stopping work on Empire Wind and Revolution Wind. Empire Wind eventually resumed after New York State negotiated with federal authorities, and a federal judge overturned the stop-work order for Revolution Wind.
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