Texas wind projects hit by national-security review slowdown

The U.S. Defense Department has paused routine federal permits for 54 Texas wind projects amid national-security reviews, part of a nationwide backlog that currently affects about 165 onshore wind developments. The interagency process, involving the FAA and DoD, has slowed to a crawl, delaying financing, local permitting, and construction while officials say reviews are necessary to prevent interference with military operations; critics argue the hold is slowing renewable energy during an affordability crisis.