A limited swath of solar projects is beginning to gain federal permit approvals after a total blockade early in the Trump administration, but progress for the industry remains at a crawl.
Two main avenues have netted results for permit-seeking solar and wind projects: Interventions from renewable-friendly Republicans and judicial commands have allowed several dozen solar and wind projects to creep through the permitting pipeline. But staffing cuts at the Interior Department and ongoing Trump administration opposition to renewable energy are still producing major roadblocks for hundreds of power projects. The fate of projects looking to bring greener power online as demand surges across the country remains a case-by-case situation.
“Every once in a while, you hear about something that starts moving,” said an energy consultant who requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive situation. “You can usually trace it back to a conversation between a Republican lobbyist they hired and the White House.”
Around 30 projects in the permitting queue at Interior Department agencies have been informed their permit applications would begin to be considered, according to three people familiar with Interior’s process, who were granted anonymity to discuss the renewable energy industry’s challenges. Roughly another 30 projects have seen movement following a federal court injunction. But unfreezing the projects is not the same as granting a permit and does not guarantee they will be approved anytime soon. Upward of a dozen of those projects that needed federal approvals have begun construction since Trump took office, according to two of the people familiar with Interior’s process.
