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More than 60 large wind and solar projects slated for public lands are being stymied 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, 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 Kevin Smith, the chief executive of Arevon, a solar and battery developer.
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo wrote 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 New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich.
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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.”
