Renewable energy groups are suing the US military. National security review New wind farms on private land have been effectively frozen for months. The group claims the impasse puts $47 billion in investments and thousands of jobs in 21 states at risk.
President Donald Trump frequently speaks about what he thinks. Hatred of wind power And they call turbines ugly. Currently, approximately 10% of the electricity generated in the United States comes from wind farms, making them the nation’s largest source of renewable energy. Solar power is the fastest growing.
The lawsuit against the Pentagon and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was filed in U.S. District Court in Oregon by nine groups, including Renewable Northwest and the Advanced Power Alliance. They argue that a policy of inaction “effectively halts all new development activity and poses an existential threat to the wind energy industry across the country.”
The Pentagon says it needs to balance new energy sources with military needs. Military authorities, known as the Siting Clearinghouse, which checks energy projects for national security risks, are actively evaluating these projects, but the Pentagon says it’s a complex process that requires various agencies to work together. The Department of Defense evaluates onshore wind energy projects during Federal Aviation Administration reviews.
Wind turbines come online in Boardman, Oregon, on April 1, 2025 (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Wind turbines come online in Boardman, Oregon, on April 1, 2025 (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)
Add AP News to Google
See more stories on Google by adding AP News as your preferred source.
Share Read more
Late Thursday, the plaintiffs filed a motion asking the Pentagon to order the court to reinstate the normal review process for new wind energy projects. It included an economic analysis by Charles River Associates Inc., a global consulting firm.
The department said Thursday in response to questions about what economic interests were at risk that it does not comment on unresolved litigation.
playing cards ordered a temporary stop From wind energy project leases and permits. But a federal judge invalidated that order. hinder the development of wind. President Trump has been particularly hostile to offshore wind, and his administration recently Buy back leases to prevent offshore wind development.
The American Clean Power Association first took issue with the national security review impasse, sending a letter to the Pentagon in March demanding an explanation. CEO Jason Grumet said Thursday that the U.S. wind industry needs the government to implement the normal review and permitting process to keep the lights on for families and businesses.
Some key numbers demonstrating the impact, as explained in the economic analysis, are:
106 projects
At least 106 wind projects are affected by delays. This is a conservative estimate and includes only projects that could be independently verified in the FAA database. If the review does not proceed, all new wind projects will be affected.
Renewable energy groups claim the Pentagon stopped counter-signing the final agreement starting in August 2025 and then progressively delayed the remaining review process until all steps were stopped in April. The first quarter of 2026 was the slowest start to the year for new onshore wind installations since 2018.
$47 billion
Charles River Associates estimates the investment value of affected projects will exceed $47 billion. This is the cost of building the project and delivering energy, such as purchasing turbines, hiring contractors, financing, payments that go into the interconnection queue to connect to the grid, and other sunk development costs.
Wind turbines are visible as the sun begins to set on February 26, 2025 in Roscoe, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Wind turbines are visible as the sun begins to set on February 26, 2025 in Roscoe, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Add AP News to Google
See more stories on Google by adding AP News as your preferred source.
Share Read more
21 states
These projects span 21 states. Although geographically dispersed, a significant portion is concentrated in windy states. This includes Texas, Kansas, and Illinois. In the 2024 election, 13 out of 21 states voted for Trump.
ACP said in its 2025 annual report that existing onshore wind projects are found in 43 states, Guam and Puerto Rico. In 2025, 15 states added new onshore wind farms. Texas has the most wind power installations, followed by Wyoming and Oklahoma.
30 gigawatts
Once built, these 106 wind farms will provide nearly 30 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power millions of homes. Of this total, approximately 12 gigawatts are in Texas.
Wind turbines are visible along Highway 176 as cars head east on February 24, 2025 in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Wind turbines are visible along Highway 176 as cars head east on February 24, 2025 in Andrews, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)
Add AP News to Google
See more stories on Google by adding AP News as your preferred source.
Share Read more
75,000 wind turbines
According to ACP, there are more than 75,000 onshore wind turbines across the country, generating approximately 161 gigawatts of clean electricity. That’s the amount of electricity needed to power more than 46 million American homes.
120,000 jobs
The analysis estimates that affected projects support more than 120,000 jobs. This includes approximately 29,000 direct construction jobs, more than 80,000 indirect and induced construction jobs, and nearly 10,000 jobs related to wind farm operations. According to ACP, the overall onshore wind industry supports more than 380,000 jobs in all 50 states.
___
Associated Press climate and environment reporting receives funding from several private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP standard Please see below for our philanthropic efforts, list of supporters and areas funded. AP.org.
