District of Columbia
State Attorneys General Challenge Trump’s Wind Farm Project Freeze
A coalition of Democratic state attorneys general has joined a lawsuit seeking to end the Trump administration’s halt of onshore wind projects in the United States. Last week, 18 states and the District of Columbia moved to intervene in a…
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Key points
- A coalition of 18 state attorneys general is suing the Trump administration over a freeze on wind turbine projects.
- The Department of Defense’s failure to conduct national security reviews has halted over 155 onshore wind projects.
- The lawsuit highlights specific stalled projects, including five in Washington state totaling over 1,600 megawatts.
NewsWK — A coalition of state attorneys general from across the country is taking legal action against the Trump administration’s recent freeze on onshore wind turbine projects. This initiative involves 18 states and the District of Columbia joining a lawsuit that alleges the Department of Defense is unlawfully blocking numerous wind projects by failing to conduct necessary national security reviews.
According to the American Clean Power Association, this freeze has stalled over 155 onshore wind projects nationwide. The attorneys general argue that projects involving wind turbines taller than 200 feet require review by both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense due to potential national security implications. They contend that these reviews were previously conducted in a collaborative manner before the Trump administration’s policy shift in August 2025.
Specific projects have been cited as examples of this standstill, notably in Washington state, where Attorney General Nick Brown highlighted that five projects, which collectively represent over 1,600 megawatts of energy, are currently unable to progress. Brown stated, “The federal government claims we’re in an energy emergency and yet unlawfully stands in the way of projects seeking to harness an excellent renewable source of energy—wind.”
In response to the lawsuit, the Department of Defense indicated that it is “actively evaluating” these projects, emphasizing the need to balance renewable energy development with operational readiness. Trump‘s administration has historically opposed wind power, with the former president stating in March, “I’m proudly telling you that we’re going to try and have no windmills built in the United States.”
Based on reporting by Alex Brown originally published by Stateline. Read the original story.
