Interior Secretary Burgum must personally approve all wind and solar projects, a new order says
July 17, 2025
All solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. That’s according to a new order that authorizes Burgum to conduct “elevated review” of activities ranging from leases to rights of way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions. The Interior Department says the enhanced oversight is aimed at “ending preferential treatment for unreliable, subsidy-dependent wind and solar energy.” Clean-energy advocates say the action could hamstring projects that need to be underway quickly to qualify for federal tax credits that are set to expire under the tax-cut and spending bill that the president signed July 4.
