Pentagon Halts Reviews for 155 Onshore Wind Projects Citing Radar Interference with Drone Detection

The Pentagon has halted its permitting reviews for at least 155 proposed onshore wind projects in 24 states for nearly a year, citing concerns that turbines interfere with radar used to detect drones, Grist reported. The affected projects represent 44 gigawatts of planned capacity. Wind developers say the pause has added $2 billion in costs and prevented new projects from starting construction.

Wind turbines create radar interference through rotating blade flashes and reflections from steel bases. For more than a decade the Pentagon maintained a review process that required developers to submit plans, respond to military requests, and sometimes fund radar upgrades. The department has not stated when or whether it will resume approvals.

Some projects may have already missed a July 4 construction deadline needed to qualify for tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the 2025 law that ended several clean energy incentives. Over the past year the Trump administration separately moved against offshore wind projects, freezing leases for five developments last year.

Developers sued, and courts later struck down the stop-work orders after reviewing classified material.

The administration then paid developers $2.6 billion to cancel more than 11 gigawatts of offshore projects. In May a coalition of renewable energy groups and wind companies sued the Defense Department over the onshore permitting pause. Fifty-five Democratic representatives also sent a letter that month requesting a confidential briefing on the delays.

A spokesperson for Congressman Seth Magaziner said the Pentagon has not responded to the request. Dave Belote, a wind energy consultant and former director of the Pentagon office that reviewed wind projects during the Obama administration, said the freeze is totally politically motivated and that without approval projects cannot obtain financing or insurance.