Overview
Trump promised to “unleash American energy.” Instead, his administration has nearly shut the door on big onshore wind and solar. Since he took office in January 2025, just one major solar project on federal land has been approved, and none at all since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum demanded personal sign-off on every renewable decision.
The freeze strands more than 500 solar and storage projects and leaves at least 18 gigawatts of federal-land solar canceled or inactive, even as U.S. electricity demand is projected to jump 32% by 2030, largely from AI-hungry data centers. While renewables sit in limbo, the same administration is fast‑tracking oil, gas and coal permits in as little as 28 days, turning a permitting debate into a high-stakes fight over who powers the next decade of U.S. growth.
Key Indicators
People Involved
Organizations Involved
Interior holds the keys to federal lands and many of the permits wind and solar projects rely on.
ACP represents wind, solar, storage and transmission companies now watching federal permits stall.
SEIA is the main voice of the U.S. solar industry, now alarmed by stalled federal reviews.
The Corps issues Clean Water Act permits that many solar and wind projects can’t build without.
Fish and Wildlife oversees endangered species reviews that many renewable projects must clear.
Timeline
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Trump administration holds major Gulf of Mexico oil and gas auction
PolicyInterior offers over 80 million offshore acres at reduced royalties, underscoring fossil fuel priority.
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Reuters exposes near-moratorium on onshore wind and solar approvals
InvestigationAnalysis finds just one major solar project approved under Trump, with 18 GW stalled or canceled.
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Federal judge strikes down Trump’s broad wind permitting halt
LegalJudge Patti Saris rules the administration’s blanket pause on new wind approvals unlawful.
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Analysts project data center power demand will double by 2030
AnalysisGartner warns data centers’ electricity use will double by 2030, heavily driven by AI.
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Nevada governor warns 33 GW of projects face federal delays
PoliticalGovernor Joe Lombardo tells Burgum that federal holdups threaten Nevada’s power supply and data center plans.
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Army Corps and Fish and Wildlife tighten renewable project reviews
RegulatoryAgencies prioritize high energy‑density projects and restrict automated tools for wind and solar developers.
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Interior questions whether wind and solar belong on federal lands
PolicyBurgum’s order says massive wind and solar may unduly degrade lands compared with denser energy sources.
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Burgum memo requires personal sign-off on every renewable decision
RegulatoryAn internal memo mandates Burgum personally approve all wind and solar decisions, cradle to grave.
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Interior adds extra layers of review for wind and solar
RegulatoryInterior orders elevated Secretary’s Office review for virtually all actions involving wind and solar facilities.
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Interior invokes emergency powers, caps many fossil permits at 28 days
PolicyInterior implements emergency procedures slashing multi‑year energy permitting processes down to 28 days.
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Army Corps quietly pauses 168 renewable-related permits
RegulatoryArmy Corps temporarily halts evaluations of 168 renewable permits, citing Trump’s new energy agenda.
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Doug Burgum installed as Interior Secretary, launches energy dominance orders
PolicyBurgum signs initial secretarial orders to unleash American energy and streamline fossil permitting.
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Trump takes office and orders halt on new federal wind approvals
PolicyOn inauguration day, Trump directs agencies to pause new wind permits and reorient energy policy.
Scenarios
Courts Chip Away at Trump Freeze, Forcing Interior to Restart Renewable Permitting
Discussed by: Reuters, legal analysts, environmental groups watching the December wind ruling
Judge Saris’ decision striking down the wind moratorium becomes a template for broader lawsuits targeting Burgum’s personal sign‑off rule and Interior’s de facto moratorium on solar. States, trade groups and NGOs file Administrative Procedure Act challenges arguing the policies are arbitrary and conflict with statutory mandates to develop renewables. Courts don’t rewrite energy policy overnight, but a series of rulings forces Interior to issue clear criteria and resume processing at least some wind and solar permits.
Freeze Holds Through Trump’s Term, Data Centers and Utilities Scramble for Alternatives
Discussed by: Industry executives quoted by Reuters, Grid Strategies and other power-market analysts
Legal challenges drag on while Interior keeps its hands on the spigot. Burgum’s office continues slow‑walking or shelving federal-land projects, and other agencies maintain stricter reviews that make even private-land renewables harder. Utilities sign more gas contracts and extend aging fossil plants to feed data centers, while tech companies quietly bankroll bespoke nuclear, gas peakers and overseas renewables. The U.S. meets most new demand, but with higher emissions, higher volatility and deeper regional reliability worries.
Backlash Spurs Bipartisan Deal to Fast-Track Clean Power for AI and the Grid
Discussed by: Some utility planners, Wall Street analysts, and pro-business Republicans alarmed by supply risks
As grid planners warn of capacity shortfalls and high prices, pressure builds from governors, tech giants and industrial users who need predictable power. Congress hammers out a narrow deal: keep Trump’s 28‑day timelines and some energy‑density language, but extend similar fast‑track treatment to large transmission lines, storage and certain utility‑scale renewables tied to data centers and manufacturing. Interior retains ideological skepticism of wind and solar, yet is forced to clear defined project classes, partially thawing the freeze.
Historical Context
Biden’s Oil and Gas Leasing Pause on Federal Lands
2021–2022What Happened
Early in his first term, President Biden paused new oil and gas leasing on federal lands while agencies reviewed climate impacts and royalty terms. Republican states sued, arguing the pause violated federal leasing laws and administrative procedure requirements.
Outcome
Short term: Federal courts forced the administration to resume leasing while it rewrote rules and environmental reviews.
Long term: Biden shifted from blanket pauses to more targeted restrictions and higher royalties, showing courts can constrain sweeping energy moratoria.
Why It's Relevant
It illustrates how aggressive, ideologically driven energy shifts—whether pro- or anti-fossil—can be checked by courts insisting on reasoned, lawful rulemaking.
Trump’s First-Term Tariffs on Imported Solar Panels
2018–2022What Happened
In 2018, Trump imposed safeguard tariffs on imported solar modules to protect domestic manufacturers. The move raised project costs and chilled some utility-scale solar investments, especially early in the tariff period.
Outcome
Short term: Installations dipped and some projects were delayed or resized as developers reworked budgets and supply chains.
Long term: Costs kept falling, developers adapted, and solar growth resumed, but the episode showed how quickly policy shocks can slow deployment.
Why It's Relevant
It foreshadows today’s permitting freeze: different tool, same effect of injecting sudden policy risk into long-horizon renewable investments.
UK’s De Facto Ban on Onshore Wind in England
2015–2023What Happened
Planning rule changes in 2015 made it extremely difficult to build new onshore wind farms in England, even without an explicit legal ban. Local objections and complicated approval hurdles effectively froze development while offshore wind boomed.
Outcome
Short term: Onshore wind construction collapsed, and the UK leaned more heavily on gas and offshore projects.
Long term: Energy-price and climate pressures pushed the government to relax rules and restart onshore projects in the 2020s.
Why It's Relevant
It shows how procedural and permitting tweaks can function as a stealth moratorium—and how political pressure can eventually force a rethink.