Trump Administration Policy Stalls 92 Gigawatts of Clean Power

The current bottleneck is largely driven by an August 2025 order from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, designed to restrict wind and solar developments. This directive marks a sharp departure from Burgum’s past as North Dakota governor, where he championed wind energy expansion and aggressive net-zero targets. The consequences are already tangible: 7 gigawatts of capacity on federal land were canceled this year, with another 12 gigawatts on public sites and 80 gigawatts on private property facing similar scrutiny.

Solar projects near wetlands and wind farms navigating airspace regulations bear the brunt of these obstacles, with significant project failures reported in Oregon, Alabama, Maine, Minnesota, and Montana. Meanwhile, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has struggled to clear grid connection backlogs, leaving tech companies to seek independent power solutions. Renewables accounted for nearly 90% of the 53 gigawatts added to the grid in 2025, but the recent decision to strip protections from 80% of U.S. wetlands creates further uncertainty for future solar development.