Interior memo requires Secretary Burgum to personally approve all wind and solar projects

Interior Department Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Gregory Wischer sent a memorandum on July 15, 2025, stating that all decisions, actions, consultations, and other undertakings related to wind and solar energy facilities on federal lands and waters would require "final review" by Secretary Doug Burgum and "subsequent review" to Deputy Secretary Kate MacGregor. The memo listed 69 items requiring Burgum's approval for solar and wind projects, including whether to issue a "notice to proceed" with permitting review, draft and final environmental reviews, records of decision, preconstruction environmental surveys, facility design reports, and access road authorizations. The directive put clean energy projects under heightened scrutiny, potentially slowing approvals and construction across sun- and wind-rich areas. The memo said the actions aligned with Trump's executive order to "strictly enforce" wind and solar tax credit phaseouts.