U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, along with Senators Ron Wyden, Chris Van Hollen, and Jacky Rosen, has sent a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum calling for the reversal of a directive issued on July 15, 2025. This directive requires Burgum’s personal approval for all new solar and wind projects on public lands.
Senator Heinrich has previously criticized actions by the Trump administration that have delayed approvals for clean energy projects. He stated, “the cheapest electrons that we can put into the supply side of that equation are all stuck on Secretary Burgum’s desk.” Earlier this month, Heinrich delivered a speech noting that 22 gigawatts of new energy have been kept off the grid due to these policies.
In their letter, the senators expressed concerns about both the legality and impact of the directive: “We write to follow up on our August 1, 2025, letter regarding a directive you signed requiring your personal review and approval of every wind and solar energy project on public lands. That letter raised serious concerns about the legality, rationale, and consequences of this policy. The consequences of this directive have only grown more severe,” they wrote. “The July 15 directive has functioned as a de facto moratorium on new wind and solar approvals on federal lands.”
They also argued that current Department practices violate congressional intent: “It has become clear that following this July 15 directive, the Department’s current approach disregards congressional intent and the law and replaces it with arbitrary delays, political interference, and uncertainty.”
According to data cited in their letter, an estimated 18 gigawatts (GW) of solar and storage projects have been canceled or are inactive; an additional 4 GW of onshore wind projects have halted. While private and state land projects are not directly affected by this order, administrative reluctance is said to be delaying another 500 projects—putting approximately 117 GW at risk.
The senators highlighted broader impacts amid rising electricity prices—up an average of 13% nationwide—and growing demand projected to increase by 32% by 2030. They noted that delays could result in higher bills for consumers as well as lost jobs and reduced reliability for local grids.
Their letter referenced legislative mandates including the Energy Act of 2020—which requires facilitation of renewable energy development on public lands—and subsequent laws setting timelines for environmental reviews.
The senators requested specific information from Secretary Burgum by February 3rd regarding pending project reviews, statutory authority for Secretarial-level approval requirements for renewables only, compliance with legal permitting deadlines under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), and estimates on generation capacity plus economic impact tied to delayed projects.
“The American people need more affordable, reliable electricity — not less. Developers, utilities, and consumers all depend on a permitting system that follows the law,” they wrote. “We strongly urge you to rescind this directive and restore a permitting framework for renewable energy that is transparent, timely, and aligned with both the law and the public interest.”
