US pauses leases for five offshore wind projects over radar concerns

The Trump administration suspended leases for five large-scale under-construction offshore wind projects over national security concerns, the Department of the Interior said on Monday.

The department said the move was made after the Pentagon raised concerns that the movement of turbine blades and the highly reflective towers cause radar interference.

The pause will give relevant federal agencies "time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects," the Interior Department said in a statement.

The pause will affect the following projects: GE Vernova's Vineyard Wind 1, Danish energy firm Orsted's Revolution Wind and Sunrise Wind, Dominion Energy's Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind–Commercial, and Equinor's Empire Wind 1 projects.