The Interior Department, under Secretary Doug Burgum’s leadership, has taken a drastic turn against renewable energy. The department recently announced that all wind and solar projects would undergo “elevated review,” effectively putting a roadblock in the development of these clean energy sources.
Experts say this move is part of a larger effort to throttle renewable energy and promote fossil fuels instead. Laws meant to protect wildlife and public lands are being misused to justify the restriction on wind and solar farms.
The Department of Interior’s recent “capacity density” order is a prime example of this misuse. The order mandates that all energy projects based on federal land be evaluated on their ability to produce energy per square acre, rather than considering the overall impact on the environment.
Critics argue that this approach ignores the fact that wind turbines are only a handful of feet wide and do not significantly affect surrounding land or wildlife habitats. In contrast, fossil fuel facilities can have devastating environmental impacts, including cancer-causing chemicals in the soil and massive amounts of energy spent producing and transporting fossil fuels.
Experts also point out that the Interior Department’s order will impact projects on private land just as much as public land, creating an impossible backlog that could bleed renewable development projects of funding.
Source: https://grist.org/energy/trumps-interior-department-is-turning-environmentalists-legal-playbook-against-them