The US Department of Defense has stalled approvals for about 165 onshore wind projects on private land, citing national security concerns, the Financial Times has reported.
The FT said the affected projects include developments awaiting final sign-off, others in negotiations and some that would not typically require defence oversight.
It added that the projects could total around 30GW of capacity, enough to power 15 million homes.
Developers have faced delays since August 2025, including cancelled meetings and a halt to application processing, according to the report.
Some 35 projects had completed negotiations and were awaiting sign-off, while around 30 had verbal approvals pending written confirmation.
A further 50 projects are in negotiations and about 50 more that would likely have been deemed risk-free are also affected, the Financial Times said.
The Department of Defense is reviewing its processes for evaluating energy projects’ impact on national security, according to letters sent to developers in April cited by the newspaper.
The move marks a significant escalation in efforts by the Trump administration to restrict wind energy development in the US.
“This is so unprecedented,” Jason Grumet, chief executive at the American Clean Power Association, told the FT.
“The fact the administration is telling private landowners they’re not allowed to pursue economic activity and generate value from their property is hard to reconcile with conservative values.”