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Pentagon Reviews Blocking Wind Farms 06/12 06:34
(AP) -- Renewable energy groups are suing the U.S. military because they say
national security reviews for new wind farms on private land have been
effectively frozen for months. The groups say this logjam jeopardizes $47
billion in investments and thousands of jobs in 21 states.
President Donald Trump has frequently talked about his hatred of wind power
and calls turbines ugly. Currently, about 10% of the electricity generated in
the United States comes from wind farms, making it the nation's largest source
of renewable energy. Solar is the fastest-growing.
The lawsuit against the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was
filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon by nine groups, including Renewable
Northwest and the Advanced Power Alliance. They allege that a policy of
inaction "poses an existential threat to the wind energy industry across the
nation by effectively halting all new development activity."
The Pentagon says it has to balance new sources of energy against military
needs. A military office known as the siting clearinghouse, which checks energy
projects for national security risks, is actively evaluating these projects --
but it's a complex process where different agencies have to work together, the
Pentagon says. The Pentagon evaluates land-based wind energy projects during
the Federal Aviation Administration review.
Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the
Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects.
They included an economic analysis by global consulting firm Charles River
Associates Inc.
When asked about the economic benefits at risk on Thursday, the department
said it does not comment on open litigation.
Trump ordered a temporary halt to leasing and permitting for wind energy
projects. However, a federal judge struck down that order blocking wind
development. Trump is particularly hostile toward offshore wind, and the
administration recently started buying back leases to stop offshore wind
development.
The American Clean Power Association first raised the issue with the stalled
national security reviews, sending a letter to the Pentagon in March to demand
an explanation. CEO Jason Grumet said Thursday that the U.S. wind industry
needs the government to carry out the normal review and permitting processes to
keep the lights on for families and businesses.
Here are some key numbers that show the impact, as described in the economic
analysis:
106 projects
There are at least 106 wind projects impacted by the delays. It's a
conservative estimate that only includes projects that could be independently
verified in the FAA database. All new wind projects will be affected if the
reviews don't move forward.
The renewable energy groups allege that the Pentagon stopped countersigning
final agreements starting in August 2025 and then progressively slowed the rest
of the review process until all stages stopped in April. The first quarter of
2026 was the slowest start to the year for new installations of land-based wind
power since 2018.
$47 billion
Charles River Associates estimated that the affected projects represent more
than $47 billion in investments. This is the cost to build the projects and
deliver energy, including buying turbines, hiring contractors, financing
commitments, paying to enter the interconnection queue to connect to the
electric grid and other sunk development costs.
21 states
These projects span 21 states. While they are geographically dispersed, a
significant share is concentrated in states with strong winds. That includes
Texas, Kansas and Illinois. Thirteen of the 21 states voted for Trump in the
2024 election.
Existing land-based wind projects can be found in 43 states, Guam and Puerto
Rico, ACP said in its 2025 annual report. In 2025, 15 states added a new
onshore wind farm. Texas has the most wind power installed, followed by Wyoming
and Oklahoma.
30 gigawatts
If these 106 wind farms are built, they will provide nearly 30 gigawatts of
electricity that could power millions of homes. Of that total, about 12
gigawatts is in Texas.
75,000 wind turbines
There are more than 75,000 onshore wind turbines across the country,
generating about 161 gigawatts of clean power, according to ACP. That is enough
electricity for more than 46 million American homes.
120,000 jobs
The analysis estimates that the affected projects support more than 120,000
jobs. This includes about 29,000 direct construction jobs, more than 80,000
indirect and induced construction jobs and nearly 10,000 jobs related to wind
farm operations. The entire land-based wind industry supports over 380,000 jobs
across all 50 states, according to ACP.
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