The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) warned that the Trump administration's new Department of the Interior regulations could put hundreds of solar and energy storage projects across the country at risk of "stalling".
According to SEIA data, more than 500 new projects are at risk of "stagnation" because they have not yet received all the federal, state and local permits needed for deployment. It includes 73 GW of solar power projects and 43 GW of energy storage projects , totaling nearly 116 GW of new installed capacity. At a time when the U.S. energy system is in desperate need of new generation to meet growing demand for electricity, these new capacity additions could face losses or delays.
The risk stems from an order issued by the Interior Department in July to tighten federal oversight of solar and wind projects. The order stipulates that any project involving federal land, permits or rights of way, including projects on private land, must go through a lengthy review process, ultimately approved by Interior Secretary Bergham himself. The move is widely seen as an effort to hinder the development of renewable energy.
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the threatened projects span 44 States; 18 of these States have more than 50% of their planned generation capacity at risk.
About 40% of the projects at risk are in Texas. Nearly 45 GW of solar and energy storage projects planned for the state between 2026 and 2030 have yet to pass regulatory approval, meaning the federal government could still delay approval or attach approval conditions.
Other States with significant at-risk capacity include Oregon (over 7 GW), California (nearly 6 GW), and Nevada (4.7 GW). The
U.S. federal government's unexpected opposition to solar projects has undoubtedly exacerbated the risks facing solar projects across the United States. Over the past few years, renewable energy developers have seen a growing wave of opposition to local projects, with community resistance and local regulations cited as the "leading cause" of project delays and cancellations, rivaling the impact of grid connection issues.
In addition, delays in the construction of solar energy projects are particularly common. A recent analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration found that in the third quarter of 2025, " solar projects representing about 20% of planned installed capacity experienced delays .". Delays are mainly concentrated in the late stage of project construction or testing, that is, before the project is connected to the grid, especially common.
However, SEIA also found that compared with the same period in 2024, the number of projects reporting delays in 2025 has decreased, only 25% of the planned capacity.
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