Overview

• The Department of Energy canceled a $4.9 billion loan guarantee for the Grain Belt Express transmission line, judging federal involvement “not critical” and project conditions unmet.
• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a capacity-density order on public lands that prioritizes fossil fuel and nuclear proposals over solar and wind.
• The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management rescinded more than 3.5 million acres of designated Wind Energy Areas on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
• Congress’s reconciliation bill tightened tax-credit eligibility by requiring wind and solar projects to begin construction by July 4, 2026.
• Renewable developers warn of significant delays, are pivoting to private financing and are weighing legal challenges against the new land-use and financing barriers.