Trump Administration Slow-Walks Wind and Solar Approvals as 165 Onshore Wind Projects Face Logjam
Updated
Updated · Energy Intelligence · May 18
Trump Administration Slow-Walks Wind and Solar Approvals as 165 Onshore Wind Projects Face Logjam
7 articles · Updated · Energy Intelligence · May 18
Congressional permitting talks are being strained by trade-group complaints that the Trump administration is still delaying most onshore wind and solar approvals despite signaling a more accommodating approach.
The dispute cuts at a central reform goal: creating political continuity so energy permits cannot be swung back and forth by Republican and Democratic administrations.
Democrats remain in the negotiations for now, but tensions are rising as the administration’s practice appears to diverge from its stated stance on renewables.
The latest friction follows a broader freeze in onshore wind permitting, including a Defense Department pause on 54 Texas projects that helped leave 165 projects stuck nationwide with no approvals since August 2025.
What specific radar threats justify halting 165 wind projects when mitigation technologies have already been developed with the DoD?
Why are wind projects paused over security concerns while LNG exports and coal plants receive continued government support?
With $1.9 billion paid to cancel wind leases, what is the true cost of prioritizing security over renewable energy development?
National Security vs. Clean Energy: The 2026 DoD Wind Permit Freeze and Its Consequences for U.S. Wind Power
Overview
In May 2026, the U.S. Department of Defense imposed a nationwide freeze on wind project permits, marking a major change in renewable energy development. This move, part of a broader effort by the current administration to slow wind power expansion, affects both new and ongoing projects. As a result, even advanced projects like those from Orsted, which were set to power about 1 million homes, have been halted. This sudden action creates significant uncertainty for integrating new renewable energy into the national grid and signals a wider impact on the future of clean energy in the United States.