More than $121 billion worth of early-stage renewable energy projects are at risk of getting caught up in the Interior Department’s permitting blockade, according to a Wood Mackenzie analysis.
That total represents a pipeline of 92 gigawatts of solar, wind, and battery storage projects planned on federal and private lands through 2029. They could be subject to heightened scrutiny by DOI under five policies published last year — including one that requires Secretary Doug Burgum’s office to sign off on permits rather than career bureaucrats. Wood Mackenzie’s analysis doesn’t include the some 29 gigawatts of onshore wind projects that the Pentagon is also holding up, citing national security concerns.
Renewable energy groups have sued both DOI and the Pentagon, arguing that their new review processes unlawfully discriminate against wind and solar technology. A federal judge in April issued a preliminary injunction blocking DOI for enforcing its policies. DOI appealed the ruling on June 17 — leaving projects in limbo. The lawsuit against the Pentagon was filed in May.
The Trump administration’s permitting regime has already caused project delays and cancellations, although Wood Mackenze noted that supply chain constraints, federal funding withdrawals, and tighter financing conditions were also to blame. Since 2025, more than 70 GW of early-stage renewable energy capacity on federal and private land has either stalled or been canceled, with ripple effects expected over the next several years.
A year and a half after taking office, Trump Cabinet officials still describe the Biden administration’s crack-down on fossil fuel pipelines and shrinking oil and gas drilling rights on federal lands as “energy subtraction.” Today, though, the Trump administration is doing exactly that by targeting solar and wind power. It also comes during a period of intense need as electricity demand is forecasted to spike 21% by 2030, largely due to data centers as well as the onshoring of manufacturing and greater electrification. Meanwhile, there isn’t enough new generation coming online to keep up. Grid operators including PJM and MISO are racing to avert capacity shortfalls by 2030.
Energy analysts point out that solar, wind, and storage are often the fastest resources to build and could save utility customers money over the long term, including in a report released yesterday by Energy Innovation. Interior Secretary Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright argue that solar and wind are unreliable, because they don’t provide the 24/7 power that data centers require, and instead are supporting coal, gas, nuclear, and geothermal energy. However, wind and solar are increasingly being paired with storage for uninterruptible service.
While DOI’s permitting policies don’t explicitly mention storage, Wood Mackenzie found that battery projects are also subject to heightened scrutiny, especially when paired with solar.
The majority of renewable energy projects are built on private lands, but developers often require federal permits because of the proximity to wetlands, sensitive wildlife habitats, or tribal lands. Many different agencies can get involved in the process, depending on the technology and location of a project. They include DOI’s Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Affairs, as well as the Army Corps of Engineers.
Onshore wind developers also get clearances from the Federal Aviation Administration to mitigate any hazards to air traffic. The FAA refers the project to the Pentagon to evaluate national security issues or military radar interference. Those review processes had been predictable until August of 2025, when wind developers started experiencing long delays, according to their May lawsuit.
At DOI, permitting risk varies by technology, but wetland areas are the primary constraint across solar, wind, and storage, Kaitlin Fung, senior research analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said.
“Wetlands account for the majority of private land exposure, with risk concentrated in Oregon, Alabama, Maine, Minnesota and Montana,” she said. “However, wind projects are more constrained by airspace permitting.”
