Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced on December 22 a 90-day pause on five offshore wind projects along the East Coast. The Department of Interior cited classified national security risks identified by Department of Defense officials, including radar interference from turbine blades and towers near population centers from Massachusetts to Virginia. According to the Department of Interior press release, the move addresses emerging threats from evolving adversary technologies and vulnerabilities posed by these large-scale developments.

The affected projects include Dominion Energys 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, which is over two-thirds complete and set for 2026 service; Avangrids Vineyard Wind 1 off Massachusetts, already generating power; Orsteds Revolution Wind off Rhode Island; and Sunrise Wind and Equinors Empire Wind, both off New York. S and P Global reports that Burgum called them expensive, unreliable, heavily subsidized offshore wind farms in a social media post.

Industry groups and developers pushed back strongly. Dominion Energy stated the pause threatens grid reliability for Virginia military bases, data centers, and jobs, warning of energy inflation. Oceantic Network CEO Liz Burdock said it contradicts years of Defense Department reviews, potentially delaying nearly 6 gigawatts of power amid rising electricity demand. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont called it an erratic move that will raise prices, while Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine decried risks to investments and veteran-heavy jobs.

Former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Neil Chatterjee labeled it reckless, stressing the need for all energy sources to support data centers and reliability. ISO New England noted Vineyard Wind and Revolution Wind are key for winter power when other supplies are tight.

The pause follows court rulings vacating prior halts, with critics like ClearView Energy Partners suggesting its timing as a counter to judicial setbacks. The Department of Interior said the pause allows time to mitigate risks with leaseholders and states.

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