Solar Industry Rebellion: 143 Companies Challenge DOI’s ‘Moratorium’ Strangling Clean Energy Growth

While politicians talk about clean energy futures, a bureaucratic steamroller is crushing America’s solar dreams. The Department of Interior dropped a bomb in July 2025 with a memo creating what industry experts call a “near moratorium” on solar project permitting. Not just on federal lands. Private lands too. Anywhere DOI has a finger in the pie.

The result? More than 500 planned solar projects – a whopping 116 gigawatts of clean energy – are now collecting dust on desks instead of sunshine in the desert. Perfect timing, right? Just when data centers and AI are begging for more power.

While AI’s hunger for electricity grows, 500 solar projects sit paralyzed by bureaucratic red tape, wasting potential clean energy.

Fed up with the gridlock, 143 solar companies have banded together in rebellion. They’ve formally petitioned Congress to step in and overturn the DOI’s memo. The Solar Energy Industries Association is leading the charge, fundamentally saying: “Stop picking on solar and do your job.”

Lawmakers aren’t amused either. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto and colleagues smell something fishy – suggesting this isn’t accidental bureaucratic bungling but intentional sabotage of renewable energy deployment.

The memo marks a sharp U-turn from previous policies. Now, nearly all solar projects touching federal resources face extra scrutiny, extra steps, extra headaches. Local control? Private property rights? Those were so 2024. DOI bureaucrats now insert themselves into decisions that used to be local matters.

The economic fallout isn’t pretty. Families and businesses face higher energy costs. Investors are getting cold feet. Jobs are at risk. This regulatory freeze coincides with Canadian political leaders moving away from climate commitments, despite 67% of Canadians supporting stronger climate action. All because permits for endangered species, water crossings, and wildlife protections are frozen unless DOI gives the nod.

Meanwhile, Congress debates solutions like the SPEED Act, which critics say doesn’t actually address the heart of the problem. It’s like bringing a water gun to a forest fire. Industry leaders stress that any reform must ensure consistent permitting rules regardless of energy source type.

The clock is ticking. With every day of delay, America’s clean energy goals drift further away. But 143 companies aren’t going down without a fight. Eighteen states are watching over 50% of their planned electricity capacity hang in limbo as the permitting standoff continues.