Routine federal permits for 165 land-based wind projects have paused nationwide, as the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) evaluates national security concerns. 54 of these projects are located in Texas.
The impeding of wind energy development nationwide reflects the Trump administration's push against wind energy. Projects are now waiting for the department to review development plans, disrupting project timelines and their ability to secure local permits contingent on federal approval.
Federal law requires any structure 200 feet or taller – which includes wind turbines – to be reviewed first by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), then the military, to determine whether the structure may interfere with military airspace.
In a statement to The Texas Tribune, a DoD official said departmental evaluation of wind turbines “is inherently complex and time-consuming because it involves balancing two critical, and sometimes competing, interests: developing energy sources while ensuring military operations and readiness are not degraded or impaired to the extent an unacceptable risk to national security is created."
Evaluations may not pass if a turbine is within the line of sight of a radar or in a low-altitude military airspace. In such cases, the department and developer typically agree and settle on new plans that will meet the requirements within a few weeks.
Federal law requires these reviews to be conducted by the DoD within 60 days of receiving the application from the FAA, but that entire process has come to a halt.
U.S. Representative Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) led 54 of his colleagues in a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanding answers on the DoD's halt of its review process, citing concerns over rising energy costs and the slowing of domestic energy production.
"Delaying the construction of new energy projects threatens both American energy independence and national security, and it is critical for mitigation agreements to be completed in an efficient manner," Magaziner wrote.
With the continually rising affordability crisis, many have expressed concerns about the future of affordable energy as these projects get delayed now and into the future.
