Interior Department Centralises Review of Solar, Wind Projects on Public Land

The US Interior Department has ordered that all decisions involving solar and wind energy projects on federal land now require sign-off from the department’s Office of the Secretary. The directive, issued Thursday, covers leases, rights-of-way, construction and operations plans, and related grants, effectively centralising authority that had previously been delegated to lower-level officials. Interior officials said the elevated review, which will be overseen by Secretary Doug Burgum’s office, is intended to ensure greater consistency across projects. Renewable-energy developers warned the additional layer of scrutiny could lengthen approval timelines for new installations on public land, potentially slowing the Biden administration’s broader clean-energy build-out.