Renewable energy organizations have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. military, asserting that prolonged national security reviews are preventing the development of new wind farms. The groups claim this stagnation has effectively frozen projects for months, jeopardizing an estimated $47 billion in investments and threatening thousands of jobs across 21 states.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon by nine organizations including Renewable Northwest and the Advanced Power Alliance, targets the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Plaintiffs allege that a policy of inaction constitutes an "existential threat to the wind energy industry across the nation by effectively halting all new development activity."
The Pentagon maintains that it must balance the need for new energy sources with military requirements. A specialized office, the siting clearinghouse, is reportedly evaluating these projects for national security risks. However, the process is described as complex, requiring collaboration among various agencies, and the Pentagon evaluates land-based wind energy projects as part of the Federal Aviation Administration review.
Last Thursday, the plaintiffs submitted a motion urging the court to compel the Pentagon to reinstate its standard review procedures for new wind energy projects. Their filing included an economic analysis conducted by the global consulting firm Charles River Associates Inc.
The lawsuit states that the Pentagon began slowing the review process in August 2025, ceasing to countersign final agreements and progressively delaying other stages until all reviews halted in April. The first quarter of 2026 experienced the slowest start for new land-based wind power installations since 2018.
According to the economic analysis, at least 106 wind projects are affected by these delays. This number is considered a conservative estimate, including only projects independently verified in the FAA database, with all new wind projects expected to be impacted if reviews do not resume. These projects represent over $47 billion in potential investment, encompassing construction costs, turbine purchases, contractor hiring, financing, and grid interconnection expenses.
The affected projects are distributed across 21 states, with a significant concentration in wind-rich areas such as Texas, Kansas, and Illinois. Notably, 13 of these 21 states voted for former President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
Nationally, existing land-based wind projects are present in 43 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico. In 2025 alone, 15 states added new onshore wind farms. Texas leads in installed wind power capacity, followed by Wyoming and Oklahoma.
If completed, the 106 wind farms in question could generate nearly 30 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power millions of homes, with approximately 12 gigawatts of that capacity located in Texas.
Currently, there are over 75,000 onshore wind turbines operating in the United States, producing around 161 gigawatts of clean power, sufficient for more than 46 million American homes. The wind energy industry as a whole supports over 380,000 jobs nationwide.
The economic analysis estimates that the delayed projects alone support more than 120,000 jobs, including approximately 29,000 direct construction positions, over 80,000 indirect and induced construction jobs, and nearly 10,000 operational roles. In total, the land-based wind industry supports more than 380,000 jobs across all 50 states.
Former President Trump has expressed criticism of wind power, referring to turbines as unattractive. While he had previously ordered a temporary halt to leasing and permitting for wind energy projects, a federal judge later overturned that order. The administration also reportedly began repurchasing leases to halt offshore wind development, a sector toward which Trump has shown particular hostility.
The American Clean Power Association had previously brought attention to the stalled national security reviews, sending a letter to the Pentagon in March seeking clarification. CEO Jason Grumet stated that the U.S. wind industry requires the government to conduct its normal review and permitting processes to ensure energy reliability for consumers and businesses.