ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — President Donald Trump’s administration sent stop work orders to five offshore wind projects on Monday, claiming their spinning blades interfere with military radar. This halted construction on New York’s Empire Wind 1, located off the coast of Long Island and meant to generate some 810 megawatts of electricity.

Construction also stopped for the smaller Sunrise Wind in New York, alongside three more projects in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Virginia. Governor Kathy Hochul and the three other governors released a joint statement claiming the illogical pause “lands like a lump of dirty coal” for American workers.

The Department of the Interior issued the stop-work order on December 22 after the Department of War/Defense identified new security risks in classified reports that have not been released. DOI described it strictly as a pause rather than a cancellation, but didn’t specify how long it would last.

Work at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal ground to a halt. The international developer Equinor said “dozens of vessels” and about 1,000 employees were working on trenches and laying cable on the outer continental shelf when the federal notice arrived.

The governors predicted that the uncertainty will make it harder to fund future public works projects. They also pointed out that a federal judge had previously ruled that the White House can’t stop these wind projects without a valid reason.

DOI blamed “clutter,” or turbines interfering with radar to create false signals or hide targets on monitoring screens. The Department of Energy has previously said that radars can adjust for clutter, but those adjustments still might make the system miss real targets. The delay gives them time to study how to fix these issues.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the federal government has to prioritize safety as “adversary technologies” evolve near population centers on the East Coast. Plus, the project actually hurts New Yorkers because it charges “over two times the local grid price” for energy, Burgum tweeted.

The site was supposed to start up in 2026 and would eventually produce enough power for 500,000 homes. Crews had already finished over 60% of Empire Wind 1. Equinor said they have 4,000 workers on the project and already invested $3.1 billion.

Democratic U.S. Representative Dan Goldman of New York’s 10th District argued that the pause wastes those billions while reducing the supply of power to drive up energy costs. On Tuesday, Goldman published a letter to Burgum and Secretary of War/Defense Pete Hegseth requesting a classified briefing in early January to review the evidence of security risks.

Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York said the move represents a “brazen attack on New York’s energy economy” that destroys union jobs rather than protecting the nation. She argued that there’s “nothing to do with national security and everything to do with a political agenda,” and pushed DOI to lift the pause.

Democratic State Senator Andrew Gounardes represents parts of Brooklyn, and he also dismissed national security concerns. On Monday, he said, “To now claim a security threat, or whatever other excuse Trump is making up today, rings hollow.” He argued that the project was already approved at many levels of government review.

Representatives from New York’s labor community said the reckless move will raise utility bills and kill jobs. Esther Rosario, Executive Director of Climate Jobs NY, called the order a massive layoff for union workers just in time for the holidays. And Gary LaBarbera of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York, halting the work “puts livelihoods at risk, undermines long-term workforce development, and threatens the economic stability of our communities.”

Environmental groups also pointed out how the pause helps fossil fuelers. Plus, according to Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, the delay also offers a “sleigh-full of billable hours for lawyers” rather than relief for residents struggling with electric bills. She found President Donald Trump’s claims an energy emergency contradictory since Empire Wind 1 and Sunrise Wind were slated to add over a gigawatt of clean power into the state’s grid.

Take a look at Goldman’s letter below:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.