The Interior Department under President Trump quietly issued an order Monday that blocks activities that enable renewable development on federally-owned lands or offshore.
For 60 days, the government will not issue any leases, rights of way, contracts or “any other agreement required to allow for renewable energy development.”
The directive was signed by acting Interior Secretary Walter Cruickshank, who is helming the agency until Trump’s nominee Doug Burgum is confirmed by the Senate.
The order says that its purpose is to implement “a targeted and time-limited elevation of relevant decisions at the Department of the Interior … for the purpose of reviewing the questions in fact, law, and policy they raise.”
It comes as Trump has launched an assault on wind energy in particular, issuing an executive order that pauses new approvals for wind energy. But applying the pause to renewables broadly is an escalation as it also pauses solar energy action as well.
Welcome to The Hill’s Energy & Environment newsletter, we’re Rachel Frazin and& Zack Budryk — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains.
President Trump on Friday teased signing an upcoming executive order targeting the Federal Emergency Management Agency that could overhaul or eliminate the entire agency.
President Trump on Friday said he wanted to see two actions taken in California before he offered federal support for Los Angeles as it grapples with wildfires.
President Trump’s Justice Department on Friday asked the Supreme Court to freeze four pending cases implicating the environment or student debt as the new administration considers reversing the regulatory decisions underlying the lawsuits.
Political tensions and questions swirling around the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) promise to be a key test for South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) as she takes over the department that houses the agency.
The Senate is set to hold a final confirmation vote on Pete Hegseth’s nomination for Defense secretary on Friday, a day after advancing his nomination by a slim margin with two Republicans opposing him. Read more
President Trump reportedly held a “fiery” call with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen over the president’s insistence that U.S. control of Greenland is necessary for American national security. Read more
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