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Federal Judge Orders Pentagon to Lift Freeze on Wind Power
The New York Times • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal judge ordered the Pentagon to resume reviewing onshore wind projects and end delays that have stalled U.S. wind power development, issuing a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit filed by renewable energy groups.
- The lawsuit argued that the Trump administration unlawfully delayed dozens of wind projects by halting military reviews, which are necessary to ensure turbines do not interfere with radar or flight paths.
- Judge Karin Immergut ruled that the Pentagon likely violated legal deadlines and must report progress on reviews every 30 days while the case proceeds.
- Since April, the Pentagon's freeze on military reviews has halted at least 106 wind projects across 21 states, representing an estimated $47 billion in potential investment.
- The delays were criticized as a tactic to thwart wind power, a technology historically opposed by former President Trump, despite national security being cited as the rationale.
