Rep. Goldman Demands Classified Briefing with Trump Administration Following Pause of Offshore Wind Projects

New York, NY - Today, U.S. Representative Dan Goldman (NY-10) sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth criticizing the recent decision to pause all offshore wind leases and demanding a classified briefing with the appropriate officials on the national security concerns cited as the rationale for the pause. One of the affected offshore wind projects, Empire Wind 1, is located partially in New York’s 10th Congressional District and will be adversely impacted by the decision. 

In the letter, Goldman lays out the urgent need for offshore wind projects like Empire Wind 1 and calls out President Trump’s hypocritical crusade against renewable energy, which has only served to raise costs for families across the country and further drive the affordability crisis. 

Rep. Goldman writes, “[Empire Wind 1] is an economic driver for the state of New York, helping to create over 4,000 jobs, and is expected to generate upwards of 810 megawatts of electricity, enough to power an estimated 500,000 homes.” 

He continues, “Since President Trump took office in January, electricity prices are up 13 percent nationwide, and the cost of electricity is climbing more than twice as fast as the rate of inflation. Moreover, with a significant increase in high-energy data centers around the country, demand for energy will continue to increase, placing additional upward pressure on energy prices in New York. Instead of embracing offshore wind’s potential to lower costs for New Yorkers, the decision to pause Empire Wind 1’s lease is yet another example of the President’s illogical, irrational, and economically irresponsible vendetta against renewable energy.” 

Goldman has consistently pushed back against the Trump administration’s reckless renewable energy policies, and his efforts were central to the administration lifting its stop work order against Empire 1 when it was previously arbitrarily targeted by President Trump earlier this year. Goldman also helped lead opposition to the approval of a new fracked natural gas pipeline in New York harbor, which would endanger marine ecosystems, threaten public health, and undermine New York’s landmark climate goals.

The Congressman continues, “[T]he Department of the Interior’s press release oddly — and for the first time — cites national security concerns as the principal rationale for the current decision to pause construction of Empire Wind 1. The press release cites classified documents supplied by the Department of Defense in support of this assertion.”

“Accordingly, pursuant to my Constitutional oversight duties, I hereby request access to the documents cited in the press release and a classified briefing with both the Departments of Interior and Defense when Congress is next in session the week of January 5, 2026.”

Rep. Goldman’s statement on the pause can be found here. A copy of the letter can be found here. 

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