New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the US Department of Defence (DoD) and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, challenging an indefinite freeze on statutory reviews for over 100 wind energy projects across the country.
The legal action targets the federal government’s decision to halt long-standing review procedures required under federal law for wind turbines exceeding 200 feet in height. Traditionally, the DoD and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) assess such developments for potential operational impacts on military radar and flight paths, collaborating with developers on mitigation measures. However, the coalition alleges that the current US administration abruptly suspended these reviews in August 2025 without a rational explanation or lawful justification.
State officials argue that the freeze violates the Administrative Procedure Act by creating arbitrary delays that harm consumers, developers, and regional power grids. In New Jersey and the wider PJM Interconnection region, where wholesale electricity costs have surged, the halted projects are seen as critical to expanding domestic clean power generation and lowering consumer bills.
Attorney General Davenport stated, “Instead of focusing on boosting domestic sources of clean energy, the administration has chosen to freeze projects that would supply much-needed electricity to New Jerseyans and people across the country. What New Jersey residents need is more, not less, energy generation to bring down record-high electricity bills.”
The lawsuit asks the court to declare the review suspension unlawful and compel the DoD to resume evaluating and approving the affected wind energy applications. Joining New Jersey in the legal challenge are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.
