US to rescind rule that lowered solar, wind project fees on federal land

by Reuters May 14, 2025

The Trump administration took steps to rescind a Biden-era regulation that lowered fees for renewable energy projects on federal lands, saying the rule unfairly favored development of wind and solar facilities.

The Interior Department said in a press release on Tuesday that the White House would review the planned rescission before it was formally proposed and opened to public comment.

A view of windmills and power lines, as California's grid operator urged the state's 40 million people to ratchet down the use of electricity in homes and businesses as a wave of extreme heat settled over much of the state, near Tracy, California. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

The move is aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump's goal to undo regulations introduced by his predecessor, Joe Biden, that were aimed at expanding clean energy and addressing climate change.

"Eliminating the Biden administration's preferential treatment of unaffordable, unreliable 'intermittent' projects and dismantling excessive, one-sided restrictions on traditional energy sources like oil, gas, and critical minerals, will unlock the full potential of America’s natural resources," Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in the statement.

The rule, which was finalized in 2024, formalized a roughly 80% cut in project fees for wind and solar energy developments on federal lands. Developers had complained for years that they were too high to draw investment.