On July 29, 2025, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced four new policy measures to advance President Trump’s approach to affordable, reliable energy development in the United States.
#1: Stopping Preferential Treatment for Wind Projects. Burgum’s Order No. 3437, “Ending Preferential Treatment for Unreliable, Foreign-Controlled Energy Sources in Department Decision-Making,” directs the Department of the Interior to end preferential treatment for unreliable energy sources like wind. The order calls for identifying policies biased in favor of wind and solar energy and halting support for energy supply chains controlled by foreign rivals.
#2: Restoring Congress’s Mandate to Consider All Uses of Our Public Lands and Waters Equally. The Department of Interior will consider withdrawing areas onshore with high potential for wind energy development to ensure compliance with legal requirements for multiple use and sustained yield of public lands. This means balancing energy development with other important uses, such as recreation and grazing.
Additionally, at the end of the Biden administration, over 3.5 million acres offshore were designated as Wind Energy Areas (WEA), which are pre-approved zones where the federal government could auction leases for offshore wind development. “By terminating these Wind Energy Areas, we are safeguarding our coastal environments and local economies from unchecked development, while ensuring our power grids are not underpinned by unreliable, subsidized energy sources,” the order stated.
#3: Enhancing Stakeholder Engagement for Offshore Wind Development. The Department of Interior will strengthen its guidance to ensure more meaningful consultation regarding offshore wind development, especially with tribes, the fishing industry, and coastal towns. “The construction and operation of offshore wind turbines have disproportionate impacts on these stakeholders, from disrupting commercial fishing to driving away tourism,” the order stated, adding how this updated guidance will support greater collaboration, transparency, and respect for community and regional priorities.
#4: Reviewing the Consequences of Developing Wind Turbines on Migratory Birds. The Department of Interior said it will conduct a careful review of avian mortality rates associated with the development of wind energy projects located in migratory flight paths and determine whether such impacts qualify as “incidental” takings of birds under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and related laws. The Department of Interior will also conduct a review of the applicable regulations to determine the appropriate approach to permitting these activities, identifying violations of the applicable statutes, and related penalties.
According to the official notice, the Department of Interior will be evaluating whether to stop onshore wind development on some federal lands while halting future offshore wind lease sales. The department will also study how constructing and operating wind turbines might affect migratory bird populations. Secretary Burgum explained how he hopes to improve consultation with tribes, local communities, and the fishing industry regarding offshore wind projects.
“These policy changes represent a commonsense approach to energy that puts Americans’ interests first,” Burgum said, adding “Leveling the playing field in permitting supports energy development that’s reliable, affordable, and built to last. We’re also making sure tribes and local communities have a real seat at the table.”
The very next day, on July 30, 2025, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it was rescinding all designated WEAs on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. By rescinding WEAs, the federal agency said it is ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf for speculative wind development, de-designating over 3.5 million acres of unleased federal waters previously targeted for offshore wind development in U.S. federal waters.
BOEM is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior that was established in 2010 by the Obama administration. Amanda Lefton who was head of BOEM from 2021 to 2023 during the rapid development of industrial offshore wind and designation of many of the WEA locations is now Commissioner of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (NYDEC).
