The Trump administration has approved wind projects in Maine and South Dakota, a move officials say was timed to ease Senate Democrats' resistance to a bipartisan permitting reform bill moving through Congress. A White House official confirmed that the Department of War had cleared its first tranche of wind projects that had been sitting in review, with officials determining Thursday that the Maine and South Dakota projects pose no national security concerns.
A White House Push To Save The Deal
A White House official confirmed the clearances to the Washington Examiner on Thursday morning, framing the approvals as part of a broader effort to clear the way for the Senate's permitting bill. According to that report, the administration's slow-walking of wind reviews had already led key Democratic negotiators to withhold their support for the infrastructure legislation. The same official said advancing the Maine and South Dakota projects could signal good faith to Democrats worried about fair treatment of both renewable and fossil fuel projects under the reform.
The legislation at stake, the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, would make it easier to permit transmission projects and would amend the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, according to Politico. The bill was introduced on September 30, the last day of the third quarter, and the first procedural vote is expected on November 9, per Axios.
Democrats Press For A Public Commitment
Senate Democrats have been demanding that the administration publicly commit to quickly approving wind and solar projects once the permitting bill becomes law, according to Punchbowl News. A White House aide reiterated the administration's support for the deal but rejected that specific request for a public statement on renewable energy, the outlet reported. Democrats have said President Trump agreed to let more than 30 wind projects advance through Pentagon national-security reviews, per the same report.
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse indicated the administration could be threatening the deal it struck with Democrats last month, warning, “This is how you blow up a permitting deal.” A White House official pushed back on that framing, saying the administration is removing all barriers clearing the way for the Senate's permitting reform bill to pass, and that there is nothing left to do but vote. The same official called the offer strong and unaccepted.
Months Of Pentagon Delays Under Scrutiny
The approvals follow months of criticism over the Pentagon's handling of onshore wind reviews. The Department of War has faced criticism for stalling military reviews of proposed onshore wind farms since April, with the reviews meant to determine whether new turbines would interfere with military operations, local radar, or flight paths. The Department of Defense stopped moving land-based wind projects through that process in August 2025, according to the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, which noted that proposed wind projects with turbines taller than 200 feet must first clear Federal Aviation Administration review before being referred to the Pentagon for assessment.
Accounts differ on the scale of the resulting backlog. The New York Times reported the delays were blocking more than 150 onshore wind farms, while a lawsuit covered by Harris Beach Murtha alleged the freeze stalled permitting for at least 125 utility-scale projects across 25 states. That same lawsuit noted the Pentagon's Siting Clearinghouse process. Separately, a federal judge ruled in August 2026 in favor of renewable energy groups that claimed the delays on dozens of wind projects were unlawful, and an August 2026 estimate put potential investment at $47 billion.
A coalition of state attorneys general had asked the court to set aside the Pentagon freeze and order the resumption of the legally required review process, arguing per the Minnesota Attorney General's Office that the freeze was unlawful, arbitrary and capricious, and violated the Administrative Procedure Act. At least 35 large wind farms had already negotiated mitigation agreements with the Pentagon but still could not move forward without final sign-off, the Times reported.
Offshore Fights Continue Alongside Onshore Approvals
Even as it advances onshore projects, the administration's legal fight over offshore wind continues. The Department of Justice sought in October to remand the permits of several offshore wind farms, and Axios reported that the administration's litigation over offshore wind permits continued even as officials promoted the Senate permitting deal. Among the offshore projects still contested is New England Wind, which WBUR reports could include up to 129 turbines generating as much as 2,600 megawatts, enough to supply more than 900,000 homes annually.
The administration has publicly supported the bipartisan permitting deal. The administration has offered to advance some wind projects. The permitting deal still faces resistance from Democratic attorneys general in nine states, Axios reported, leaving its fate tied to whether Thursday's wind approvals are enough to hold the fragile coalition together.
