MARYLAND/DELAWARE - Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown joined a group of 18 other attorney generals in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense, and Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to the lawsuit, the DOD unlawfully froze routine reviews of land-based energy projects across the United States.
“DoD’s unlawful freeze is blocking clean-energy projects that could lower costs for Maryland families, create jobs, and strengthen our energy future,” says Attorney General Brown. “We’re intervening to ensure the federal government follows the law and allows these projects to move forward”
Federal law requires that the DOD review all proposed wind projects for potential national security concerns. For over a decade, the DOD worked with developers to mitigate potential concerns, including changing turbine height or placement and radar upgrades. According to the lawsuit, in August of 2025, the DOD stopped this process leading to a pause in wind energy development nationwide.
As a result, wind projects across the United States have been frozen at various different stages of their review process, including those awaiting final DOD approval.
Attorney General Brown and his coalition are asking the court to order the agency to resume the review process, in accordance with federal law. They argue that this freeze violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The DOD has yet to provide an explanation for the sudden change in policy.
Joining Brown in the lawsuit are the attorney generals of 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.
