Interior Department introduces stricter reviews to end “regulatory favoritism” for wind and solar energy, prioritizing U.S. energy security.

Administration Targets “Unreliable” Subsidized Energy

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced Thursday a significant shift in its approach to renewable energy, launching “enhanced oversight” of all agency decisions related to new wind and solar projects. The new policy, designed to dismantle what officials called “regulatory favoritism,” marks an end to policies that provided special advantages to wind and solar initiatives in recent years.

Under the updated directive, any agency decision regarding leases, rights-of-way, construction and operation plans, grants, consultations, or biological opinions for wind and solar projects will now require final review by DOI senior leadership, including the office of the secretary. This increased scrutiny aims to ensure that future decisions are aligned with national energy priorities and do not unfairly benefit what the DOI characterized as “unreliable” and “subsidy-dependent” energy systems.

“Today’s actions further deliver on President Trump’s promise to tackle the Green New Scam and protect the American taxpayers’ dollars,” said acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management Adam Suess. He emphasized that “American energy dominance is driven by U.S.-based production of reliable baseload energy, not regulatory favoritism towards unreliable energy projects that are solely dependent on taxpayer subsidies and foreign-sourced equipment.”

The new review standards reflect longstanding concerns within the DOI that the previous administration offered preferential treatment to wind and solar developers, leading to rapid permitting and financial incentives that the Trump administration now seeks to eliminate. According to a Thursday DOI press release, these actions will “level the playing field” for more “dispatchable, cost-effective and secure energy sources, such as clean coal and domestic natural gas.”

Aligning With Executive Orders and National Security

The department’s actions directly implement an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month, “Ending Market Distorting Subsidies for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources.” The new guidelines also support provisions of the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which directs the Interior Department to eliminate right-of-way and capacity fee discounts for both existing and future wind and solar projects. Officials assert that these changes will end “years of subsidies for economically unviable energy development.”

In a statement, President Trump’s executive order argued that “for too long, the federal government has forced American taxpayers to subsidize expensive and unreliable energy sources like wind and solar. The proliferation of these projects displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape.”

The order further warned that “reliance on so-called ‘green’ subsidies threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains controlled by foreign adversaries.” According to administration officials, ending taxpayer-funded support for unreliable energy is essential for energy dominance, national security, economic growth, and the fiscal health of the nation.

As the Interior Department rolls out these new procedures, industry stakeholders and state regulators are expected to watch closely for impacts on future wind and solar development. The administration insists that the changes will help ensure energy security, grid stability, and American job creation by prioritizing U.S.-based, reliable energy sources in all agency decisions moving forward.