Attorney General James Intervenes to Stop Trump Administration Freeze on Wind Energy Projects

NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James today led a coalition of 18 other attorneys general in moving to intervene in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Secretary Pete Hegseth for unlawfully freezing routine reviews of land-based wind energy projects across the country. Federal law requires DoD to review proposed wind projects for potential national security concerns and work with developers to address any issues. However, in August 2025, DoD abruptly stopped moving projects through this process, blocking wind energy development nationwide. In New York, the freeze is holding up multiple wind projects, including the Canisteo Wind Energy Project (Canisteo) in Steuben County and the Maple Harvest Wind Project (Maple Harvest) in Onondaga County, putting at least $445 million in investments and 806 jobs at risk. Attorney General James and the coalition are asking the court to set aside DoD’s unlawful freeze and order the agency to resume the review process required by federal law. 

“This administration’s war on wind is driving up costs and threatening jobs for hardworking Americans,” said Attorney General James. “New Yorkers should not have to pay the price for the president’s personal vendetta against wind power. As demand for energy continues to skyrocket, these wind projects have become more important than ever. My office will keep fighting to protect affordable energy, good-paying jobs, and the rule of law.” 

Under federal law, land-based wind project developers must submit any proposed projects with wind turbines over 200 feet tall to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for review. The FAA then refers these projects to DoD to assess whether they could affect military operations, radar systems, flight paths, or national security. For more than a decade, DoD engaged in a predictable review process and worked with developers to mitigate potential concerns. Mitigation measures often included changes to turbine placement or height, radar upgrades, or agreements to pause generation under certain circumstances. 

In August 2025, DoD abruptly stopped following this process. Officials ceased countersigning mitigation agreements, stopped sending completed agreements to developers for signature, and delayed or halted communications with developers about mitigation. As a result, wind projects across the country have been frozen at various stages of the review process, including those that had already completed mitigation negotiations and were awaiting only final DoD approval. 

In New York, DoD’s unlawful freeze is putting major energy projects, private investment, and local jobs at risk. The freeze is holding up multiple land-based wind projects across the state, including the 290-megawatt Canisteo project and the 162-megawatt Maple Harvest project. These projects and others held up by DoD’s unlawful freeze represent at least $445 million in private investment and 806 jobs for New Yorkers. New York law also requires electric utilities to use at least 70 percent renewable energy by 2030, and the state has a statutory goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030 and 85 percent by 2050. By blocking these projects from moving forward, DoD is threatening economic development in local communities, limiting new energy supply, and making it harder for New York to meet its renewable energy requirements and protect residents from rising electricity costs. 

Attorney General James and the coalition argue that DoD’s freeze is unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. DoD has not provided a reasonable explanation for its sudden change in policy, accounted for the harm to states, developers, workers, and ratepayers, or considered the major investments made in reliance on its longstanding review process. The coalition also argues that DoD’s refusal to act is causing unreasonable delay and undermining Congress’ directive that DoD balance national security concerns with the responsible development of renewable energy. They are asking the court to require the agency to resume reviewing and approving land-based wind projects. 

Joining Attorney General James in intervening in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.