Federal agencies are delaying approvals for renewable energy projects all across the country on both federal land and private property. Meanwhile, electricity demand continues to rise.
Projects large and small are not getting federal approvals and, in some cases, existing approvals have been revoked for wind and solar projects. For example, the Jackalope Wind project in Wyoming was set to be one of the biggest wind farms in the country. But a key environmental review of the project by the Interior Department was stalled for months and now the project is effectively dead.
This situation is being repeated across the country. While the Trump administration’s attacks on offshore wind have garnered much public attention, it has also been hobbling solar and wind energy projects on land by halting or delaying federal approvals that used to be routine.
More than 60 large wind and solar developments on federal land are being stymied. The administration is also holding up hundreds of wind and solar projects on private land that require federal consultations. According to many of the energy companies involved, the projects are facing potentially fatal delays.
The White House claims its policies are designed to reverse what it calls unfair, preferential treatment of green energy sources like wind and solar and cut burdensome red tape to level the playing field for oil and gas companies. In reality, oil and gas companies are now receiving unfair, preferential treatment and green energy sources like wind and solar are drowning in burdensome red tape or being blockaded entirely.
