Trump is losing his war on wind power
A US District Court has ruled that the Department of Defense cannot unilaterally halt wind energy projects by refusing to participate in mandatory approval processes. The decision marks a setback for the Trump administration's efforts to restrict wind power development on national security grounds.
Why it matters
This ruling clarifies the limits of executive power regarding renewable energy infrastructure and impacts the future of US wind power expansion.
Struggling against the wind Trump is losing his war on wind power A court rules that a hold on all wind projects clearly violates the law.
19 Credit: picture alliance Credit: picture alliance Text settings Story text Size Small Standard Large Width * Standard Wide Links Standard Orange * Subscribers only Learn more Minimize to nav On Thursday, a US District Court in Oregon ordered the US government to restart the process of approving wind projects. All new wind development in the US has been on hold since August of 2025, when the Department of Defense (DoD) stopped participating in a process that allows it to compel developers to alter projects in order to limit their interference with radar equipment. The court ruled, however, that the DoD’s national security claims did not allow it to opt out of a process that is legally mandated.
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