The US interior department on Monday said it had paused all leases for offshore wind projects over unspecified national security risks, casting new doubt over the future of an industry detested by President Donald Trump.
The Republican president has long expressed opposition to windmills, particularly over their appearance, and his administration has made multiple attempts to limit their implementation during his second term.
The interior department said the move, which pauses leases “effectively immediately” for five projects under development in the Atlantic Ocean, came after the Pentagon identified “national security risks” in recently completed “classified” reports.
The pause would give government agencies “time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of…