A coalition of 143 solar companies has asked the US Congress to intervene and roll back the Department of the Interior’s July 2025 memo
Elevated federal review mandated for all wind and solar projects under the memo has created a “near complete moratorium” on permitting, they complain
The industry seeks certainty in order to continue making investments in the US energy space
A total of 143 solar companies in the US have reached out to the US Senate and the US House of Representatives seeking their intervention to accelerate permitting for solar projects. They urge Congress to work with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and revoke its July 15, 2025, memo that mandates all wind and solar projects to undergo elevated federal review.
The DOI memo necessitates federal scrutiny of all such projects by the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum (see Elevated US Federal Scrutiny For Wind & Solar Energy Projects).
In a letter addressed to Congress, signatories from 143 solar companies say that this has amounted to a ‘near complete moratorium’ on solar projects permitting on both federal and private land. It has created ‘burdensome red tape’ that has effectively halted permitting for solar energy projects, thereby significantly delaying or cancelling the deployment of much-needed solar energy in the country.
“Businesses need certainty in order to continue making investments in the United States to build out much-needed energy projects,” reads the letter. “Certainty must include a review process that does not discriminate by energy source. We urge Congress to keep fairness and certainty at the center of permitting negotiations.”
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), over 500 solar and storage projects, representing a combined 116 GW of capacity, are under threat of political attacks in the country in the aftermath of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). These represent half of all new planned power capacity in the country (see SEIA: Political Attacks Threaten Nearly 116 GW Solar & Storage Capacity).
FTI Consulting notes that over 320 proposed solar and wind projects representing over 100 GW of combined capacity are under significant financial risk due to the OBBBA (see FTI Consulting: More Than 100 GW US Solar, Wind Projects At Risk).
Recently, the Bureau of Land Management cancelled environmental clearance for what could have been the largest solar PV project in the US, the 6.2 GW Esmeralda Seven Solar Project, made up of 7 solar and storage facilities. The DOI reportedly wants all individual facilities assessed individually (see US BLM Axes 6.2 GW Proposed Solar & Storage Project).
Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to signal the de-emphasis of the renewable energy industry in the country's energy future. Earlier this month, the US Department of Energy (DOE) renamed one of the leading renewable energy research institutes National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) as the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), effective immediately.
“The energy crisis we face today is unlike the crisis that gave rise to NREL,” explained Assistant Secretary of Energy (EERE) Audrey Robertson. “We are no longer picking and choosing energy sources. Our highest priority is to invest in the scientific capabilities that will restore American manufacturing, drive down costs, and help this country meet its soaring energy demand. The National Laboratory of the Rockies will play a vital role in those efforts.”