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All solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must now get Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s personal approval, according to an internal memo obtained by Politico. The directive puts clean energy projects under heightened scrutiny, potentially slowing energy project approvals and construction.
This change could delay some projects so much that they will not be able to qualify for federal tax credits that are set to expire. “It absolutely will create so much bureaucratic process that no solar or wind projects are likely to move in a timely and efficient manner, if at all,” said Eric Beightel, former executive director of the Federal Permitting Council. “For an administration so focused on eliminating unnecessary roadblocks, this is a clear attempt to use ‘the process’ to kill projects.”
The Interior department said in a statement that Burgum’s order will “level the playing field for dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources,” such as coal and natural gas. Meanwhile, the “Big Beautiful Bill” mandates oil and gas lease sales, fast-tracks environmental reviews, and opens millions of acres of public land for coal leasing, all at the expense of the American taxpayer.
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The Secretary of the Interior will apparently now be personally reviewing thousands of documents and permit applications for everything from the location and types of fences to the grading of access roads on construction sites across the country. This isn’t oversight. It’s obstruction that will needlessly harm the fastest-growing sources of electric power.”
