Attorney General Ellison intervenes to protect onshore wind energy projects
Trump administration’s freeze on wind energy projects puts 1,200 construction jobs at risk in Minnesota
July 17, 2026 (SAINT PAUL) — Attorney General Ellison, as part of a coalition with 18 other attorneys general, moved 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. In August 2025, DoD stopped moving projects through this process, blocking wind energy development nationwide. Attorney General Ellison 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. A copy of the lawsuit is attached to this press release.
“The Trump administration’s de-facto freeze of wind energy projects is as unlawful as it is foolish,” said Attorney General Ellison. “Freezing these projects puts construction jobs at risk, harms our economy, and makes the transition to clean energy more difficult for no good reason. I cannot allow that to happen, so I’m taking action.”
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.
According to a report from the North Star Policy Institute, the stalled projects impacting Minnesota put 1,200 construction jobs and $120 million in wages and benefits from those jobs at risk. North Star also found that the four stalled projects would generate 1,119 megawatts of clean electricity collectively, which could power over 300,000 households in Minnesota.
Attorney General Ellison 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 Ellison in intervening in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
