In a blow to energy projects, the Trump administration announced Monday that it is suspending federal leases for all large offshore wind projects currently being built,” CNN reports.
The reason given was unspecified national security risks.
CNN reports the suspension will affect billions of dollars worth of investment and stop six gigawatts of new electricity that was going to come online in the next few years.
There are five projects affected in the Atlantic Ocean, including an offshore wind farm near Virginia that would be the largest wind farm in the nation if completed. It was due to finish construction by the end of 2026.
The wind farm would have helped power Virginia as it becomes home to the world’s largest number of data centers, which require a lot of power.
