Pentagon Reviews Blocking Wind Farms   06/12 06:34

   

   (AP) -- Renewable energy groups are suing the U.S. military because they say 
national security reviews for new wind farms on private land have been 
effectively frozen for months. The groups say this logjam jeopardizes $47 
billion in investments and thousands of jobs in 21 states.

   President Donald Trump has frequently talked about his hatred of wind power 
and calls turbines ugly. Currently, about 10% of the electricity generated in 
the United States comes from wind farms, making it the nation's largest source 
of renewable energy. Solar is the fastest-growing.

   The lawsuit against the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was 
filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon by nine groups, including Renewable 
Northwest and the Advanced Power Alliance. They allege that a policy of 
inaction "poses an existential threat to the wind energy industry across the 
nation by effectively halting all new development activity."

   The Pentagon says it has to balance new sources of energy against military 
needs. A military office known as the siting clearinghouse, which checks energy 
projects for national security risks, is actively evaluating these projects -- 
but it's a complex process where different agencies have to work together, the 
Pentagon says. The Pentagon evaluates land-based wind energy projects during 
the Federal Aviation Administration review.

   Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the court to order the 
Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process for new wind energy projects. 
They included an economic analysis by global consulting firm Charles River 
Associates Inc.

   When asked about the economic benefits at risk on Thursday, the department 
said it does not comment on open litigation.

   Trump ordered a temporary halt to leasing and permitting for wind energy 
projects. However, a federal judge struck down that order blocking wind 
development. Trump is particularly hostile toward offshore wind, and the 
administration recently started buying back leases to stop offshore wind 
development.

   The American Clean Power Association first raised the issue with the stalled 
national security reviews, sending a letter to the Pentagon in March to demand 
an explanation. CEO Jason Grumet said Thursday that the U.S. wind industry 
needs the government to carry out the normal review and permitting processes to 
keep the lights on for families and businesses.

   Here are some key numbers that show the impact, as described in the economic 
analysis:

   106 projects

   There are at least 106 wind projects impacted by the delays. It's a 
conservative estimate that only includes projects that could be independently 
verified in the FAA database. All new wind projects will be affected if the 
reviews don't move forward.

   The renewable energy groups allege that the Pentagon stopped countersigning 
final agreements starting in August 2025 and then progressively slowed the rest 
of the review process until all stages stopped in April. The first quarter of 
2026 was the slowest start to the year for new installations of land-based wind 
power since 2018.

   $47 billion

   Charles River Associates estimated that the affected projects represent more 
than $47 billion in investments. This is the cost to build the projects and 
deliver energy, including buying turbines, hiring contractors, financing 
commitments, paying to enter the interconnection queue to connect to the 
electric grid and other sunk development costs.

   21 states

   These projects span 21 states. While they are geographically dispersed, a 
significant share is concentrated in states with strong winds. That includes 
Texas, Kansas and Illinois. Thirteen of the 21 states voted for Trump in the 
2024 election.

   Existing land-based wind projects can be found in 43 states, Guam and Puerto 
Rico, ACP said in its 2025 annual report. In 2025, 15 states added a new 
onshore wind farm. Texas has the most wind power installed, followed by Wyoming 
and Oklahoma.

   30 gigawatts

   If these 106 wind farms are built, they will provide nearly 30 gigawatts of 
electricity that could power millions of homes. Of that total, about 12 
gigawatts is in Texas.

   75,000 wind turbines

   There are more than 75,000 onshore wind turbines across the country, 
generating about 161 gigawatts of clean power, according to ACP. That is enough 
electricity for more than 46 million American homes.

   120,000 jobs

   The analysis estimates that the affected projects support more than 120,000 
jobs. This includes about 29,000 direct construction jobs, more than 80,000 
indirect and induced construction jobs and nearly 10,000 jobs related to wind 
farm operations. The entire land-based wind industry supports over 380,000 jobs 
across all 50 states, according to ACP.