U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich

U.S. SENATE News:

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate and Natural Resources Committee, sent a letter to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Acting Comptroller General Orice Williams Brown calling for an investigation into the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) wind leasing and permitting practices, which have stalled wind energy projects since January 2025.

In the letter, Heinrich requests the GAO review DOI’s and other federal agencies’ wind leasing and permitting practices since January 2025.

“Since January 2025, wind energy projects have been stalled—in part due to a requirement to have Secretary Burgum’s review and approval of every renewable energy project on public lands,” the Senator wrote. “Additionally, DOI has issued stop work orders suspending construction of projects and agreed to pay potentially billions of dollars of taxpayer dollars to companies for lease cancellations.

The letter requests the GAO review how DOI and other agencies’ wind leasing and permitting practices have changed since President Trump took office, DOI’s plan for reviewing wind leasing and permitting practices, the status of current wind leases and projects undergoing the permitting process, the impact of DOI leasing and practices on wind energy projects and stakeholders, and the economic impact that stop work orders have.

“The Trump Administration has shown a strong willingness to go to any lengths to kill wind projects, including stretching the bounds of the law,” the Senator concluded. “It is imperative that Congress and the American people understand how DOI’s actions have crippled the development of wind energy in the country.”

Read the full letter here.