The Pentagon has halted 155 wind projects across 24 states, citing concerns that drones could use wind farms for concealment.

      The Pentagon has halted the permitting process for 155 wind projects (44GW) across 24 states for almost a year due to concerns that drones could conceal themselves among wind turbines and avoid radar detection. Developers have incurred $2 billion in losses. The industry has filed a lawsuit, alleging the freeze is driven by political motives.

      The affected wind projects could generate 44 gigawatts of power, which is four times the capacity of the offshore wind projects that the Trump administration previously terminated through $2.6 billion in federal payments, as reported by Grist. Wind turbines cause “blade flash” on radar screens, and their steel structures can reflect electromagnetic waves, making it challenging to differentiate turbines from aircraft. The Pentagon has assessed wind projects for over ten years and has required developers to fund radar enhancements. However, the department now claims these upgrades may not adequately address the threat posed by small, lethal drones that could navigate through wind farms undetected. Developers say they have faced $2 billion in extra costs during this permitting freeze.

      The wind industry argues that this freeze stems from political motivations. A group of renewable energy organizations filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense in May, claiming the permitting halt represents “the most damaging new tactic” in an “unprecedented campaign” against the industry. The lawsuit states that the freeze was implemented without the necessary public notice or transparency required for a federal rule change. The Pentagon, however, contends that this is merely a delay rather than a rule change. The Trump administration has been altering defense technology policies across various sectors, from AI regulation to autonomous weapons and now wind energy permitting.

      Some developers may have already missed a construction deadline on July 4 to qualify for federal tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Fifty-five Democratic representatives have requested a private briefing from the Pentagon regarding these delays, but the Pentagon has yet to respond. In contrast to Europe’s rapidly evolving energy infrastructure amidst different political dynamics, the U.S. faces 44 gigawatts of idle wind capacity while the administration argues that national security considerations take precedence over development interests.