Wind Farm Projects Halted by Trump on Purported National Security Concerns
By Reuters | 03 May, 2026

Trump's expressed distaste for wind farms appear to be behind the Pentagon's halting of 165 onshore wind projects on private lands.

FILE PHOTO: A drone view of windmills near the Sacramento River where it enters the California Delta near Rio Vista, California, U.S. December 28, 2025. REUTERS/Fred Greaves/File photo

President Donald Trump's administration has brought U.S. onshore wind development to a halt, citing national security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

Approvals for about 165 onshore wind projects on private lands are being held up by the Pentagon, FT said, citing the American Clean Power Association and people close to the matter.

The affected projects include wind farms that were awaiting final sign-off, others in the middle of negotiations and some that typically would not require oversight by the Pentagon, the FT said.

Reuters could not immediately verify the report.

The American Clean Power Association and Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment by Reuters.

Since August 2025, wind developers have faced a mix of setbacks, including a lack of expected communication from the Pentagon, canceled meetings with no chance to reschedule, and being told that applications are no longer being processed, FT reported, citing people with knowledge of the situation.

Letters sent to developers in early April said the Pentagon was reviewing its processes for evaluating the impact of energy projects on national security, according to the newspaper.

The Trump administration has previously faced lawsuits after pausing wind projects after it cited new classified national security risks from radar interference.

Wind developers have faced repeated disruptions under Trump, who says wind turbines are ugly, expensive and inefficient.

(Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in Bengaluru;Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Will Dunham)