Pentagon advances some wind projects after freeze

The Trump administration is advancing some wind projects after a court order required it to do so.

A White House official said Thursday that an initial set of wind projects under Pentagon review have been released. The official said this represents two projects located in Maine and South Dakota.

The official said the Defense Department will keep evaluating wind projects on a case-by-case basis.

The official also described the move as clearing the path for a bipartisan energy bill in the Senate. That legislation — which is expected to cut down on barriers, including environmental laws for energy projects — is the result of a tenuous deal between Democrats and Republicans, and comes after significant ire from the left over the Trump administration’s moves to hold up renewable energy projects.

The advancement of the two projects comes after the administration earlier this year froze approvals for onshore wind projects, citing potential interference with doppler radars. A lawsuit earlier this year said at least 125 utility-scale projects in 25 states were impacted.

In August, a federal judge halted the Pentagon’s freeze as a case against it plays out. Earlier this week, organizations that sued over the department’s treatment of wind projects asked the court to take additional steps to enforce the order, saying the administration was failing to comply with it.

The move also comes as the Trump administration has taken other steps to hamper wind energy in recent weeks. It recently requested to reconsider previously approved permits for several offshore wind projects.

Sen. Martin Heinrich (N.M.), a key Democratic negotiator on the energy bill, called on the Trump administration to do more to unlock the projects it has stalled.

“Approving the routine upgrades in these two projects is obviously welcome, but there are hundreds of onshore wind projects in limbo that I’d like to see moving also, to get much needed gigawatts onto the grid,” Heinrich said in a statement shared with The Hill.

“I am optimistic that the White House appreciates the importance of good faith, forward momentum on these permits. And I look forward to seeing more move forward in the coming weeks,” he added.