Big Solar Developers See Delays in US Approvals

(Bloomberg) -- Developers of large solar farms said the Trump administration has stopped moving forward on approvals for projects that impact federal land, potentially leading to costly delays. 

Executives with EDF Renewables North America and Arevon said the Interior Department hasn’t been granting permits for large-scale solar projects that they say are needed to meet growing demand on the grid. The pause comes after an administration order requiring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally sign off on approvals for solar and wind farms. 

“We’re going to see delays across the industry in those,” Arevon Chief Executive Officer Kevin Smith said Tuesday during a panel discussion at the RE+ clean energy conference in Las Vegas. Ryan Affair, executive vice president with EDF, said they are getting no response from the administration, adding that a lot of the company’s projects in the desert Southwest touch federal land.

“I’m optimistic that once the need is made clear for the energy, that projects will start moving forward,” Affair said on the sidelines of the event. 

The Trump administration has launched an unprecedented attack on renewable energy by blocking permits, revoking approvals and passing legislation to end tax credits for wind and solar investments.

Representatives of the White House and Interior Department didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Corrects spelling of arevon in third paragraph, in story published Sept. 9)

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