Look West: Public lands and energy news from the Center for Western Priorities
** Trump is delaying renewable projects on public and private land
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Thursday, February 5, 2026
Renewable energy in the California Desert. Photo courtesy of Tom Brewster Photography, BLM Flickr. ([link removed])
More than 60 large wind and solar projects slated for public lands are being stymied ([link removed]) by the Trump administration's efforts to outright halt or delay once-routine federal approvals.
Many federal decisions and consultations on wind and solar projects that used to fall under the purview of career civil servants are now subject to new layers of review by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum ([link removed]) , causing a severe bottleneck in the approval process. “Now that everything has to go up to the secretary’s desk, it’s essentially a pause on permitting,” said ([link removed]) Kevin Smith, the chief executive of Arevon, a solar and battery developer.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo wrote ([link removed]) to Secretary Burgum last summer, saying the Interior Department’s reviews have “not only stopped solar development on federal lands in Nevada, but also on private land.” Even projects planned for private land often require consultation and approval from federal agencies.
Renewable energy proponents warn that without a viable project approval pipeline, the country could face a shortage of power and ratepayers could see higher electric bills at a time when affordability has become a national concern. “The cheapest electrons we can add to the supply side of that equation are stuck on Secretary Burgum’s desk,” said ([link removed]) New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich.
** Quick hits
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Trump is delaying renewable projects on public and private land
New York Times ([link removed])
New Mexico public land protections weakened by Project 2025 implementation progress
Kiowa County Press ([link removed])
Congress could throw out Grand Staircase-Escalante management plan that Tribes helped shape
Aspen Public Radio ([link removed])
House passes bill to fast-track mining on public lands, sidestep Tribal consultation or public comment
Duluth News Tribune ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
What happens when a national park runs out of water? Look at Big Bend
Outside ([link removed])
Oregon legislature considers bill to tax tourists 1% for wildlife conservation
High Country News ([link removed])
Snow drought in the West reaches record levels
New York Times ([link removed]) | CBS News ([link removed]) | KUER ([link removed])
Opinion: The cost of fast-tracking mines on Montana public lands
Ravalli Republic ([link removed])
** Quote of the day
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” Ninety-five to 99% of species that states are responsible for have no dedicated funding from the federal government. We sometimes joke that state agencies have to offer bake sales to fund this work.”
—Mark Humpert, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, High Country News ([link removed])
** Picture This
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@nationalparkservice ([link removed])
Then jump, jump for my love…of dinner!
Beneath a blanket of fresh snow, the red fox freezes, ears twitching to the faint rustle of a mouse tunneling below. Then…boom!!! It explodes upward in a graceful arc before diving straight down, snout-first, aiming to pin its prey in a perfect ambush. Pure poetry…until it isn’t. Oops! Sometimes the mouse hears the telltale crunch, zips sideways, and leaves the fox face-planting into empty snow. Awkward. The fox pops back up, gives a full-body shake, offers a few “for fox sakes,” and glances left and right wondering, “Did anybody see that? They in fact did see it. We all saw it. Never fear, the fox immediately resets for another jump. Good luck, fox. Dinner’s still out there. 🦊 Good luck to the mouse too!
Images: Series of photos illustrating a fox jumping and crashing into the snow @yellowstonenps ([link removed]) . (Hold down three dots and scroll fast for maximum effect.)
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