From pv magazine USA
Solar has taken a hit from political attacks, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and executive and agency actions aimed at curbing solar development. After years of growth, Wood Mackenzie forecast that solar installations may decline 1% annually through 2035.
SEIA has released a report saying that political attacks are threatening 500 US solar and energy storage projects totaling nearly 116 GW of capacity, or about half of all planned capacity additions nationwide through 2030.
“This blockade is undermining American energy security, driving up costs for families and businesses, and exacerbating the ‘energy emergency’ that the Trump administration itself declared earlier this year,” SEIA said in a statement.
New SEIA analysis of Energy Information Administration (EIA) data shows that 73 GW of solar and 43 GW of storage projects have yet to secure all required federal, state, and local permits and are at risk of being targeted by the administration. The projects, located in 44 states, would generate enough power for 16 million US homes.
Projects on federal land are now under “final review” by the office of Trump-appointed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, leaving many “trapped in limbo,” SEIA said.
“And this extends well beyond projects on public lands,” SEIA said. “Many solar and storage projects located partially or entirely on private property are now being entangled in a myriad of federal reviews.”
The trade group said federal obstruction erodes private property rights and local decision-making, placing Washington bureaucrats between developers and the communities that want to host projects. SEIA warned that the policy shift poses risks to farmers, ranchers, and private investors who may face project cancellations even if regulatory compliance is met.
Eighteen states have more than half their planned generation capacity at risk of being blocked, with Texas, Virginia, Arizona, and Nevada among those expected to see the most disruption. SEIA’s report includes a state-by-state dashboard tracking planned and at-risk capacity.
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