Recently, U.S. solar and wind energy developers have encountered a new wave of development restrictions from the government. The U.S. Department of the Interior announced that it will implement an “enhanced review” process for project permits, a move that has drawn widespread attention both within and outside the industry.
Under the new rules, developers seeking leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations, and biological opinions must obtain approval from U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. In a press release from the Department of the Interior, Adam Sousa, Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, stated that America’s energy dominance should be driven by reliable baseload energy production, rather than regulatory favoritism toward unreliable energy projects that rely entirely on taxpayer subsidies and foreign equipment.
Earlier this month, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of the Interior to review relevant regulations, guidelines, policies, and practices within 45 days to determine whether wind and solar facilities have received “preferential treatment” compared to dispatchable energy sources. If such preferences are found, they must be eliminated. The Department of the Interior stated that by removing these artificial advantages, the goal is to create a level playing field for dispatchable, cost-effective, and secure energy sources—such as clean coal and domestic natural gas—which were previously disadvantaged under the policies of the previous administration.
