Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) has responded to the Trump administration’s decision to pause leases for five major offshore wind farms, including Empire Wind off the coasts of New Jersey and New York. The administration cited national security concerns as the reason for halting construction.
Smith, who has long opposed offshore wind projects, said, “I am grateful to President Donald Trump and Secretary Doug Burgum for their leadership in assessing ocean wind’s threats to national security and radar interference. The safety and security of the American people should always be at the forefront of U.S. policy.”
He added, “As I have argued from day one—ocean wind projects pose significant, catastrophic impacts to radar, putting military and civilian aircrafts and vessels at grave risk.” Smith referenced an April 2025 Government Accountability Office report on Offshore Wind Energy that he requested with colleagues. He also noted that his legislation addressing these concerns passed the House nearly three years ago by a margin of 244 to 189.
Smith recalled highlighting risks associated with offshore wind industrialization during a Fox News segment in Middletown, NJ in 2023. That same year, he introduced an amendment requiring certification that offshore wind projects would not interfere with radar systems used by the Federal Aviation Administration or Armed Forces.
“It is particularly important that among the five offshore wind projects suspended by the Trump administration, Empire Wind is one of them—a project I have vehemently opposed for years,” Smith stated.
He emphasized Empire Wind’s proximity to international airports such as Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, JFK, and military installations like Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Naval Weapons Station Earle as reasons for concern. “It must be halted,” he said.
Smith also expressed worries about potential impacts on New Jersey’s fishing industries, tourism sector, ocean environment recovery efforts after pollution issues, and costs for taxpayers.
“I look forward to working alongside the Trump administration in ensuring that these dangerous offshore wind projects are stopped,” Smith concluded.
Chris Smith has represented New Jersey’s 4th district in Congress since 1981 after replacing Frank Thompson (https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/S000522). Born in Rahway in 1953 and currently residing in Manchester Township, Smith graduated from The College of New Jersey with a BS degree in 1975.
