Trump Slows Wind and Solar Projects While Coal is Given Preferential Treatment
An unprecedented crackdown is hitting wind and solar energy in the United States. The Trump administration has launched a wave of measures that threaten to halt the construction of dozens of projects on public and private lands. The Department of the Interior has imposed additional policy reviews for permits that were previously routine, opened investigations into bird mortality caused by turbines, and withdrawn millions of acres of federal waters designated for offshore wind development.
Some sources report that already approved projects facing legal challenges could be reconsidered, and even lose their permits, a scenario that threatens projects in advanced stages. In Idaho, the permit for the Lava Ridge Wind Project has reportedly already been revoked, citing “legal deficiencies” as the reason. At the same time, the Department of Transportation is recommending new minimum setback distances for turbines from federal highways and railroads, while the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S., will be required to reassess risks to aviation.
In 2023, wind energy supplied about 10% of American electricity production, with over 150 gigawatts of installed capacity spread across more than 70,000 turbines. Leading states currently include Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma, which together generate nearly half of the country’s wind power. The sector employs over 120,000 workers and has attracted tens of billions of dollars in investment over the past decade. According to forecasts by the research firm BloombergNEF, without restrictions and incentive cuts, wind capacity could have grown by more than 50% in the next five years; with the new policies, expansion risks a significant slowdown.
Industry operators are denouncing delays and skyrocketing costs. Jason Grumet, head of one of the main trade associations, the American Clean Power Association, told The New York Times that these policies will have a dramatic impact on the country’s ability to develop energy. Interior Department spokesperson Elizabeth Peace defended the administration’s stance, arguing that evaluating efficiency and environmental impact is not partisan but rather responsible governance.
The crackdown has also sparked discontent among Republicans. Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo wrote to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, reporting that the reviews have halted solar projects requiring approvals and asking for a more streamlined process.
While wind and solar face new obstacles, coal, oil, and gas receive preferential treatment: in recent days, an expansion of a fossil fuel mine in Montana and an expedited lease for a site in Utah have been approved. The gradual removal of tax incentives for renewables, combined with new restrictions, could cut projected wind growth by more than half and reduce solar expansion by nearly a quarter over the next five years.
Barbara Kates-Garnick, a professor at the Fletcher School in Massachusetts, argues that these initiatives strike at the heart of project development by introducing such uncertainty that they become almost impossible to complete. Meanwhile, electricity demand in the U.S. is growing for the first time in decades, driven in part by data centers for artificial intelligence.