Trump Team Halts Offshore Wind, Cites National Security—Hochul Rages!

Paul Riverbank, 12/23/2025Offshore wind projects halted for security, sparking fierce debate over jobs, energy, and environment.

The decision came with little preamble. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum pointed to recently surfaced national security concerns, referencing classified intelligence from the Department of War about new threats, mainly from advanced adversary tech. The broad scope of the order shocked regional leaders. Projects, some years in the making and already half-built in the chilly waters off Long Island, were left suspended mid-stride.

If you asked anyone following energy policy in Albany last month, Sunrise Wind was the future—30 miles out from Montauk, slated to become New York’s biggest offshore wind installation and projected to power about 600,000 homes within three years. Its neighbor, Empire Wind, would shoot electricity straight into Brooklyn, lighting half a million apartments and brownstones. And, notably, both promised to put thousands of folks to work, from union dockbuilders to high-voltage electricians. It all rests in limbo now, with the governor warning that 2,600 jobs or more could disappear with the stroke of a pen. “It’s a gut punch,” Hochul added, “especially at a time when we want to cut energy bills and reduce our reliance on volatile foreign oil.”

Outside the administration, the reaction has been far from one-note. Detractors, once relegated to sparsely attended town halls and comment sections, have seized the moment. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spent years sparring over offshore wind, didn’t miss the chance to pile on. “Offshore wind is just bad news—whether you care about whales, local fishermen, or the actual price of electricity,” he said. Kennedy paints the turbines as environmental menaces, looming over sea and sky, threatening navigation and, yes, allegedly playing havoc with both marine and aviation radar systems—an angle that dovetails with the official rationale for the pause.

He’s not alone. Grassroots groups often dismissed as cranks now find themselves applauding Washington. Craig Rucker from CFACT called the decision “a long-awaited win for working people,” crowing about a Christmas miracle for those he says have “fought tooth and nail” against the turbines for years. For critics, the higher-than-average cost per kilowatt-hour and the sense that Wall Street and foreign investors benefit more than New Yorkers have become rallying cries, amplified in the political echo chamber.

But it’s not just the naysayers making noise. City Hall isn’t backing down. Mayor Eric Adams, for one, has been vocal about Empire Wind’s upsides. He argues that pulling the plug jeopardizes both the environment and New York’s economic future, noting the potential for steady jobs and a supply of affordable power to nearly half a million city residents. Adams’ office hit back at the pause, saying these projects are lifelines as Americans face ballooning cost of living.

There’s plenty of political theatre on the other side, too. Nassau County’s Bruce Blakeman—a Republican with a history of opposing the wind farms—has repeated familiar objections about bloated costs and ecological disruption, echoing the New York wing of the GOP. Then there’s former President Trump, who, never shy about windpower, earlier dismissed offshore turbines as neighborhood “eyesores”—leaning on aesthetics as much as policy.

So what started as a technical regulatory move is now a showdown spilling into the 24-hour news cycle. Supporters fear that hitting pause will stall not just a few construction sites but the broader march toward cleaner, cheaper energy. Opponents smell vindication and urge a return to conventional energy, stoking anxieties about everything from whales to radar screens.

What remains clear is that the national wind policy—once seen as inevitable progress—is tangled in a much larger tug-of-war: security warnings, job forecasts, ecological disputes, and, inevitably, raw politics. The only certainty is there’s plenty more debate ahead, and the real consequences will take time to unfold, both offshore and at home.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul faced the press in Albany with a tension in her posture that matched the mood. The state’s ambitious offshore wind plans—once projected as a cornerstone of clean energy policy—had collided with an unexpected roadblock. Hours earlier, the U.S. Interior Department announced a blanket stop on major offshore wind projects in progress. The sweeping halt included New York’s showcase initiatives: Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind. “Nobody flagged this for us,” Hochul said, her frustration evident. “We never heard a whisper.”The decision came with little preamble. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum pointed to recently surfaced national security concerns, referencing classified intelligence from the Department of War about new threats, mainly from advanced adversary tech. The broad scope of the order shocked regional leaders. Projects, some years in the making and already half-built in the chilly waters off Long Island, were left suspended mid-stride.If you asked anyone following energy policy in Albany last month, Sunrise Wind was the future—30 miles out from Montauk, slated to become New York’s biggest offshore wind installation and projected to power about 600,000 homes within three years. Its neighbor, Empire Wind, would shoot electricity straight into Brooklyn, lighting half a million apartments and brownstones. And, notably, both promised to put thousands of folks to work, from union dockbuilders to high-voltage electricians. It all rests in limbo now, with the governor warning that 2,600 jobs or more could disappear with the stroke of a pen. “It’s a gut punch,” Hochul added, “especially at a time when we want to cut energy bills and reduce our reliance on volatile foreign oil.”Outside the administration, the reaction has been far from one-note. Detractors, once relegated to sparsely attended town halls and comment sections, have seized the moment. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who spent years sparring over offshore wind, didn’t miss the chance to pile on. “Offshore wind is just bad news—whether you care about whales, local fishermen, or the actual price of electricity,” he said. Kennedy paints the turbines as environmental menaces, looming over sea and sky, threatening navigation and, yes, allegedly playing havoc with both marine and aviation radar systems—an angle that dovetails with the official rationale for the pause.He’s not alone. Grassroots groups often dismissed as cranks now find themselves applauding Washington. Craig Rucker from CFACT called the decision “a long-awaited win for working people,” crowing about a Christmas miracle for those he says have “fought tooth and nail” against the turbines for years. For critics, the higher-than-average cost per kilowatt-hour and the sense that Wall Street and foreign investors benefit more than New Yorkers have become rallying cries, amplified in the political echo chamber.But it’s not just the naysayers making noise. City Hall isn’t backing down. Mayor Eric Adams, for one, has been vocal about Empire Wind’s upsides. He argues that pulling the plug jeopardizes both the environment and New York’s economic future, noting the potential for steady jobs and a supply of affordable power to nearly half a million city residents. Adams’ office hit back at the pause, saying these projects are lifelines as Americans face ballooning cost of living.There’s plenty of political theatre on the other side, too. Nassau County’s Bruce Blakeman—a Republican with a history of opposing the wind farms—has repeated familiar objections about bloated costs and ecological disruption, echoing the New York wing of the GOP. Then there’s former President Trump, who, never shy about windpower, earlier dismissed offshore turbines as neighborhood “eyesores”—leaning on aesthetics as much as policy.So what started as a technical regulatory move is now a showdown spilling into the 24-hour news cycle. Supporters fear that hitting pause will stall not just a few construction sites but the broader march toward cleaner, cheaper energy. Opponents smell vindication and urge a return to conventional energy, stoking anxieties about everything from whales to radar screens.What remains clear is that the national wind policy—once seen as inevitable progress—is tangled in a much larger tug-of-war: security warnings, job forecasts, ecological disputes, and, inevitably, raw politics. The only certainty is there’s plenty more debate ahead, and the real consequences will take time to unfold, both offshore and at home.