Burgum Orders Scale-Back on Solar, Wind Projects, Citing Low Energy Efficiency

A wind farm is roughly 5,500 times less efficient in producing energy than a nuclear plant on a per-acre basis, according to the Department of the Interior.

An aircraft takes off from Los Angeles International Airport behind electric power lines in El Segundo, Calif., on Aug. 31, 2022. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum signed an order on Aug. 1 to rein in “environmentally damaging” wind and solar power projects and ensure that federal lands are used optimally for energy initiatives.

The Department of the Interior (DOI) is legally required to ensure that land use decisions are “judicious,” the agency said in an Aug. 1 statement. This requirement raises the question of whether allocating federal lands for wind and solar projects is permissible, given their high land requirement and the blockage of other land uses, according to the agency.

“One advanced nuclear plant ... produces 33.17 megawatts (MW) per acre, while one offshore wind farm produces approximately 0.006 MW/acre, which is approximately 5,500 times less efficient than one nuclear plant,” the DOI stated.

Because there are alternatives that can generate the same amount or a higher amount of energy by using less federal land, power projects based on solar or wind power “may unnecessarily and unduly degrade federal lands,” according to the agency.

The DOI stated that unreliable energy projects such as wind and solar are inefficient uses of land compared with coal, gas, and nuclear.

As such, the department stated that it would consider an energy project’s capacity density when judging how it benefits the country and affects the environment and wildlife.

Capacity density calculates how efficiently the land is used for producing energy, according to Burgum’s order. Higher capacity density translates into higher energy generation with less impact on federal lands. This will ensure that more land is available for other purposes.

As such, the DOI “shall only permit those energy projects that are the most appropriate land use when compared to a reasonable range of project alternatives,” the order states.

It also asked the department to identify and make necessary changes to any regulation, policy, or practice to implement the order. Within 30 days, officials are required to submit a report listing the actions taken to implement the order.

“Gargantuan, unreliable, intermittent energy projects hold America back from achieving U.S. Energy Dominance while weighing heavily on the American taxpayer and environment,” Burgum said.

“By considering energy generation optimization, the Department will be able to better manage our federal lands, minimize environmental impact, and maximize energy development to further President Donald Trump’s energy goals. This commonsense order ensures our nation is stronger, our land use is optimized, and the American people are properly informed.”

On July 29, the agency stated that it was implementing four policy measures to end special treatment for wind projects, including considering terminating the designation of 3.5 million acres for wind power.

In a July 31 statement, environmental group Sierra Club blamed the Trump administration for obstructing wind energy development in the country.

The federal government’s “relentless obstruction of wind energy is clear evidence that [it does] not care about creating affordable and reliable energy for everyday Americans,” said Xavier Boatright, legislative director for clean energy and electrification at the group.

“Offshore wind is a readily available option to power millions of homes, create thousands of jobs for Americans, and achieve energy independence,“ he said. ”It’s time for Donald Trump and his administration to get their heads out of the sand and face the facts: renewable energy is cheaper, more resilient, and safer.”

Enforcing Trump’s Energy Policy

Burgum’s Aug. 1 order states that it is in line with two executive orders issued by Trump.

The first is the Jan. 20 presidential action called Declaring a National Energy Emergency. In it, Trump accused the Biden administration of having pushed the United States into a situation of national emergency, in which “a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply, and an increasingly unreliable grid, require swift and decisive action.”

The second is a July 7 executive order seeking to end market-distorting subsidies for “unreliable, foreign controlled energy sources.”

The proliferation of unreliable energy sources such as wind and solar “displaces affordable, reliable, dispatchable domestic energy sources, compromises our electric grid, and denigrates the beauty of our Nation’s natural landscape,” according to the executive order.

Subsidizing such energy projects threatens national security by making the United States dependent on supply chains under the control of foreign rivals, it states.

Burgum’s order also referenced a July 7 report issued by the Department of Energy that evaluated the reliability and security of the U.S. electric grid.

The report highlights that 104 gigawatts of firm power generation—power generated at all times, such as coal, natural gas, and nuclear—are scheduled to be retired by the end of this decade without any timely replacement.

“[This could] lead to significant outages when weather conditions do not accommodate wind and solar generation,” the report reads.

“Modeling shows annual outage hours could increase from single digits today to more than 800 hours per year. Such a surge would leave millions of households and businesses vulnerable. We must renew a focus on firm generation and continue to reverse radical green ideology in order to address this risk.”