The Trump administration announced Monday that it is pausing the leases for several offshore wind energy projects under construction south of the Vineyard due to national security risks, the latest escalation from the President in his campaign against wind turbines. 

Vineyard Wind, Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind were among the five leases that were halted after the alleged risks were identified by the Department of Defense, according to a statement from the Department of the Interior, the federal agency that oversees offshore wind energy projects. 

“The prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,” said secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum in the statement. “Today’s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers. The Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.”

Offshore wind energy has been in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump since his first day in office, when he signed an executive order that halted all permitting for offshore wind energy projects and ordered a review of any existing leases. 

The Department of the Interior said Monday's pause would give time for the government to work with leaseholders and states to assess the possibility of mitigating the security risks posed by the projects. 

The pause comes at a critical time for the renewable energy projects and could endanger billions of dollars of investments, as well as Massachusetts’ climate goals. Vineyard Wind, the 62-turbine project about 14 miles south of the Island, was nearing completion, was already generating power and, up until now, had avoided any of the administration’s swipes at offshore wind.

Revolution Wind had only just been allowed to resume construction in September after a judge overturned a stop work order from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). It was in the advanced stages of construction, and hoped to start producing power in 2026.

The Trump administration had raised national security concerns around the project, but the order was overturned after Revolution Wind, a 65-turbine project off Aquinnah, argued the security claims were baseless. 

In a statement, Orsted, one of the parent companies behind Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, said it had recieved a notice from BOEM on Monday ordering the projects to suspend all activity for the next 90 days, with the potential for a 90-day extension. Orsted is complying with the orders, and said it is evaluating all of its options to resolve the matter, including litigation.

The Department of the Interior said government reports have long found that the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers create radar interference called “clutter.”

“The clutter caused by offshore wind projects obscures legitimate moving targets and generates false targets in the vicinity of the wind projects,” the Department of the Interior wrote. 

A Department of Energy report from last year also stated that a radar’s threshold for false alarm detection can be increased to reduce some of the clutter, but an increased detection threshold could result in missing actual targets, according to the statement. 

“Today’s action ensures the national security risks posed by offshore wind projects are appropriately addressed and that the United States government retains its ability to effectively defend the American people,” the department wrote. 

In a lawsuit filed by Revolution Wind earlier this year, the company noted that previous security concerns from the Department of Defense, including potential disruption to air defense radar in Falmouth, were able to be worked through by several different mitigation strategies. 

Monday’s announcement follows a court hearing last week where a Massachusetts federal judge issued a final ruling that struck down the actions stemming from President Trump’s executive order on offshore wind energy.

One of the main issues for the judge was the indefinite halt for agencies to deal with offshore wind project permits, breaking their statutory responsibility.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey criticized the move by the Interior, saying it will push energy costs even higher and put people out of jobs. 

“It makes absolutely no sense for the Trump Administration to halt construction on a project that is bringing more affordable energy to our region,” she said in a statement. “This puts people out of work during the holidays...Donald Trump should be embracing an all-of-the-above approach to American energy, not shutting down critical sources like wind.”

Green Oceans, a group that had petitioned the government with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) to suspend offshore wind energy projects approvals, applauded the pause.

“The concerns are very real,” said co-founder Lisa Quattrocki Knight. “These turbines will interefere with radar and the interference makes it very hard to survey certain airspace.”

Much of the administration’s maneuvers around offshore wind have resulted in lawsuits. 

The Conservation Law Foundation, which has been supportive of renewable energy projects, said it was reviewing the announcement and determining its next steps. 

“This is a desperate rerun of the Trump administration’s failed attempt to kill offshore wind — an effort the courts have already rejected,” said Kate Sinding Daly, senior vice president for law and policy said in a statement. “Many of these clean energy projects passed years of rigorous review, were upheld in court, and are moving forward. Trying again to halt these projects tramples on the rule of law, threatens jobs, and deliberately sabotages a critical industry that strengthens, not weakens, America’s energy security.”