The US Department of the Interior has suspended leases for five major offshore wind projects along the east coast citing national security concerns, reported London's S&P Global.

The projects affected are Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind 1. All were supported by leasing and tax credit provisions in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the action addresses risks from adversary technologies and vulnerabilities created by large-scale wind farms near population centres. He told Fox Business the projects pose radar interference and jamming risks.

The suspension is expected to impact project cargo shipments, with ports such as Virginia's Portsmouth Marine Terminal already seeing heavy-lift demand from the curtailed CVOW project.

US President Donald Trump has long opposed wind energy, favouring oil and gas pipelines. The Interior Department said turbine blades and reflective towers create radar clutter that obscures legitimate targets and generates false ones.

A 2024 Department of Energy report noted radar thresholds can be raised to reduce clutter, but warned this could cause actual targets to be missed.