The American Clean Power Association (ACP) has criticised new permitting procedures announced by the US Department of the Interior, warning that the measures will hinder the development of domestic wind and solar projects. ACP Chief Executive Jason Grumet described the move as a significant setback for US energy policy at a time of growing electricity demand.
In a statement, Grumet said the new rules introduce “three new layers of needless process and unprecedented political review” for energy project approvals. He expressed concern that the Secretary of the Interior will now be personally involved in reviewing minor project details, such as fencing and road grading, across thousands of permit applications.
Grumet called the changes “a bewildering departure” from earlier commitments by the administration to reduce energy prices and streamline bureaucracy. He argued that the new rules risk delaying urgently needed infrastructure expansion. US electricity demand is forecast to rise by 35–50% by 2040, with data centres alone expected to require more than 100 GW of new capacity.
Clean energy technologies are currently a major contributor to new capacity, accounting for 93% of additions to the US grid last year. According to the ACP, halting or slowing these developments could lead to higher costs for households and businesses.
The ACP also pointed to the scale of clean energy already deployed. Utility-scale wind, solar, and storage now total over 320 GW in capacity—enough to power nearly 80 million homes. Furthermore, over 2,000 GW of new projects are awaiting grid connection, 95% of which are renewable or storage-based.
Grumet concluded that the new Interior Department policy amounts to obstruction rather than oversight and urged the administration to support ongoing bipartisan efforts in Congress to reform permitting across all forms of energy.
