The Biden-Trump administration has introduced new measures to increase federal oversight of wind and solar energy projects on public lands, prompting criticism from the renewable energy industry.
A memo issued this week by the U.S. Department of the Interior directs “elevated review” of all decisions related to wind and solar developments on federal land. The directive covers leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, consultations, and biological opinions, and places final decision-making under the authority of Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
The move drew sharp criticism from the American Clean Power Association, which represents wind and solar developers. CEO Jason Grumet said the directive contradicts the administration’s stated goals of lowering energy prices and competing globally in sectors such as artificial intelligence and data infrastructure.
“The recently released memo from the Interior Department is a bewildering departure from the Administration’s promise to bring down energy prices and make America competitive in the race against China for AI and data centres,” Grumet said in a statement.
He added that the new policy amounts to obstruction, not oversight. “The move is particularly confounding as we look to the Administration to support bipartisan efforts in Congress to streamline permitting for all sources of American energy,” he said.
Interior officials defended the measure as a step toward reinforcing U.S. energy independence. “Today’s actions further deliver on President Trump’s promise to tackle the Green New Scam and protect the American taxpayers’ dollars,” said Adam Suess, Acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management.
“American Energy Dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favouritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment,” Suess added.
The memo aligns with provisions in the Trump administration’s proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which includes a phase-out of subsidies for renewable energy projects. Industry groups have warned that such changes could slow investment in clean power, which has been one of the fastest-growing segments of the U.S. energy market.
The Interior Department has not indicated how long the enhanced oversight process will remain in effect or whether existing projects will be retroactively affected.
