"The Friday order by the Interior secretary on the “capacity density” of solar and wind projects is the latest in a series of restrictive moves by the Trump administration."
"An order issued late Friday by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum that targets wind and solar development has left renewable energy developers and industry observers scrambling to determine whether green energy has any future in the Trump administration.
Burgum’s secretarial order requires that Interior agencies evaluating new onshore solar and wind project proposals, as well as offshore wind projects, consider “capacity density,” or how much area the projects cover.
Commercial-scale solar and wind projects typically require a much greater amount of land and water than other sources, specifically oil and natural gas or nuclear power. In the case of federal land, that means they essentially “tie up” large swaths of acreage, raising the question of whether solar and wind could meet the interpretation of the Bureau of Land Management’s multiple-use mandate offered in Burgum’s order."
Scott Streater and Ian M. Stevenson report for E&E News August 4, 2025.
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