"The Trump administration on Monday announced it was pausingeffective immediately leases for five large offshore wind farms being built off the East Coast. In the announcement, Department of the Interior secretary Doug Burgum cited emerging national security risks for the decision, but the agency provided no evidence as to what risks had been found. The five projects affected by the pause are offshore of New York State, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia."
"Around 5.8 gigawatts of offshore wind was expected to come online in the U.S. between 2025 to 2029enough to power millions of homes across the Eastern Seaboard. Some $10 billion has been invested in the U.S. wind industry since 2021. The Trump administration decision imperils that both that investment and future energy capacity. A statement announcing the decision on Monday indicated that wind turbines caused radar clutter, referencing a 2024 Energy Department report that looked into wind turbines' effect on radar systems."
The U.S. Department of the Interior paused leases for five large offshore wind farms off New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Virginia, citing emerging national-security risks. Interior secretary Doug Burgum cited radar-related concerns but the agency provided no evidence of identified risks. Approximately 5.8 gigawatts of offshore capacity was expected between 2025 and 2029, and about $10 billion has been invested in the U.S. wind industry since 2021. The pause threatens those investments and planned energy capacity. A 2024 Energy Department report warned that turbine clutter can interfere with defense and civilian radar and cause false alarms. One mitigation noted is lowering radar detection thresholds, which reduces clutter but carries operational trade-offs.
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