Senate Energy and Natural Resources ranking member Martin Heinrich is calling for a probe of the Trump administration’s wind power leasing and permitting decisions — the latest effort by Democrats to shed light on the ongoing halt of renewable energy projects.
“The Trump Administration has shown a strong willingness to go to any lengths to kill wind projects, including stretching the bounds of the law,” Heinrich wrote in a letter Thursday to the Government Accountability Office.
The stalling of wind permits in particular has become a significant barrier for congressional Democrats in reaching a permitting reform deal with Senate Republicans this year.
Heinrich specifically called for an investigation into the Interior Department’s decision-making on wind power, following a memorandum issued by President Donald Trump on his first day of his second term. That order halted agencies from issuing new leases, permits or approvals for wind projects pending a review.
