Court forces Pentagon to resume wind project approvals — US construction frozen since August

A federal court in Oregon has ordered the US government to restart the approval process for wind energy projects. The ruling lifts a de facto moratorium on new wind farm construction across the country that has been in place since August 2025.

The freeze stemmed from the Department of Defense's refusal to participate in a review process that allows the agency to require developers to alter projects to reduce interference with radar equipment. The court ruled that national security concerns do not permit the Pentagon to bypass a legally mandated procedure.

The Trump administration has made repeated attempts to block wind development, both offshore and onshore. For offshore projects, it used the same argument as in the current case: that the rise of drone technology makes radar interference from turbines a national security risk. Courts rejected this claim, even in cases where judges reviewed a classified Pentagon report used to justify halting offshore construction. The administration then shifted to paying companies to abandon wind projects.

A similar approach was applied to onshore wind. Under the law, the Pentagon must evaluate potential problems posed by turbines and negotiate changes with developers. According to the ruling, starting in August 2025 the department first stopped signing off on previously negotiated agreements, then refused to draft new ones, and eventually ceased participating in negotiations altogether. This brought all wind development in the US to a standstill.

The Oregon court's decision requires the Department of Defense to resume its legal obligations. Whether the administration will appeal remains unclear, but the verdict clears the way for renewed review of wind farm permit applications.