President Donald Trump is not slowing down in his attacks against renewable energy. The Trump administration on Monday halted Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, the largest project of its kind in the U.S. as well as four other projects under construction off the East Coast in a devastating blow to the wind industry.
The decision was part of a broader suspension of five major East Coast offshore wind projects, citing national security concerns. Officials pointed to potential interference of turbine blades and reflective towers with military radar systems as the primary reason for the halt.
Shares of Dominion Energy, the utility developing the Virginia project, dropped nearly 4% on the news.
Dominion Energy’s CVOW project, located about 27 miles off Virginia Beach, had been under development for several years. Once completed, it is expected to generate 2.6 gigawatts of power, enough to supply electricity to roughly 660,000 homes, and represents a major component of Virginia’s renewable energy strategy. Valued at over $10 billion, the project had broad political and business support, and was seen as a key step in scaling up U.S. offshore wind capacity.
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“Stopping CVOW for any length of time will threaten grid reliability for some of the nation’s most important war fighting, AI, and civilian assets,” Dominion said in a statement.
“It will also lead to energy inflation and threaten thousands of jobs,” the utility said.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated that the pause would allow federal agencies to assess and mitigate the cited security risks. Industry advocates, however, argue that the projects had already undergone rigorous federal review, including by the Department of Defense, and that the national security claims may be overstated. Environmental groups and state officials also expressed concern that halting such projects could delay meeting clean energy targets.
The Interior Department said in a statement that the pause will give the federal government time to “work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects.”
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“Trump’s obsession with killing offshore wind projects is unhinged, irrational, and unjustified,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. said in a statement Monday. “At a time of soaring energy costs, this latest decision from DOI is a backwards step that will drive energy bills even higher.”
Beyond the immediate controversies, the decision highlights the broader challenges of balancing federal oversight, technological development, and investment stability in emerging industries. It also raises questions about the long-term impact on domestic renewable energy infrastructure, supply chains, and workforce growth.
Stakeholders across industries, states, and communities will be closely monitoring how authorities navigate these competing priorities, with potential consequences not only for energy policy but also for broader climate and economic goals. The ultimate resolution will likely serve as a benchmark for the interplay between federal decision-making and renewable energy development in the United States, but exactly how it will play out remains uncertain.