Brown Joins Fight to Unfreeze Wind Energy Projects

State of MD - Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined 18 other attorneys general in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense and Secretary Pete Hegseth. The goal is to stop what they call an unlawful freeze on wind project reviews.

Here's the background. Federal law requires the DoD to review proposed wind projects for national security concerns. Developers work with the agency to fix any issues before moving forward.

That process came to a halt in August 2025. The DoD stopped moving projects through review, effectively freezing wind energy development nationwide. Brown and the coalition want a court to order the agency to start reviewing projects again, as required by law.

"DoD's unlawful freeze is blocking clean-energy projects that could lower costs for Maryland families, create jobs, and strengthen our energy future," said Attorney General Brown. "We're intervening to ensure the federal government follows the law and allows these projects to move forward."

So how does this review process normally work? Any wind turbine taller than 200 feet must be submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration for review. The FAA then sends it to the DoD, which checks whether the turbine could interfere with military operations, radar, or flight paths.

Brown and the coalition argue this freeze breaks federal law. They say the DoD hasn't explained its sudden change in policy or considered the harm to states, workers, developers, and ratepayers who invested based on the old process.

The attorneys general also argue the delay works against Congress's intent, which calls for balancing national security with clean energy growth. They're asking the court to force the DoD back into action.

Joining Brown in this effort are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington.