WASHINGTON, D.C. — The following is a statement from Ray Long, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE), on the Department of the Interior’s announcement that the Secretary will begin new and extensive review procedures for clean energy development:

“Today’s announcement by the Department of the Interior amounts to a tsunami of red tape and roadblocks for private investment in wind and solar energy projects. Requiring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s personal approval on at least 69 distinct permitting actions — from site leasing to rights of way applications — on potentially hundreds of projects represents an unnecessary and inefficient approach to permitting that will lead to significant delays and uncertainty. It stands in direct conflict with the Secretary’s stated goals as chair of the National Energy Dominance Council: to increase domestic energy production and streamline development.

“Electricity demand is surging, driven by AI, data center expansion, and the successful reshoring of U.S. manufacturing. The only viable way to meet this demand reliably and affordably is by building all technologies, including wind and solar. Handcuffing energy deployment in this way directly undermines U.S. energy competitiveness and risks ceding global leadership in both energy production and AI.

“The Administration seems set on derailing an industry that has brought manufacturing back to communities across the country, lead to thousands of good-paying American jobs, and is backed by billions of dollars of private investment. Worse still, moves like this inject new uncertainty throughout the entire energy sector, driving up costs for American homes and businesses, and leading to energy shortages, all within the next few years.”

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ABOUT ACORE

For over 20 years, the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) has been the nation’s leading voice on the issues most essential to clean energy expansion. ACORE unites finance, policy, and technology to accelerate the transition to a clean energy economy. For more information, please visit http://www.acore.org.

Media Contacts:
Stephanie Genco
Senior Vice President, Communications
American Council on Renewable Energy
genco@acore.org

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