The Department of the Interior (DOI) secretary moved to limit the development of renewable energy on federal land recently, including by rescinding all designated ‘offshore wind (OSW) energy areas’ on the US Outer Continental Shelf, and requiring energy projects in federal areas to be prioritized by capacity density.
The wind energy areas (WEA) were rescinded in a July 29, 2025 order that instructed the department to “identify the existence of any preferential treatment toward wind and solar facilities” in comparison with dispatchable generation, and eliminate any such preferences from “regulations, guidance, policies, or practices.”
By rescinding WEAs, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on July 30, 2025, that it is ending the federal practice of designating large areas of the outer continental shelf for speculative wind development, and is de-designating over 3.5 million acres of unleased federal waters previously targeted for OSW development.
The previous US administration had set a five-year schedule for OSW leasing, with sales in the Gulf of Mexico set for 2025; sales in the Central Atlantic set for 2026; sales in the Gulf of Mexico and New York Bight set for 2027; and sales in the Gulf of Maine as well as offshore California, an unspecified US territory, and Hawaii set for 2028.
DOI confirmed that it plans to ensure more meaningful consultation regarding OSW development, especially with tribes, the fishing industry, and coastal towns, and to conduct a careful review of avian mortality rates associated with the development of wind energy projects located in migratory flight paths. The DOI will henceforth “permit only energy projects that are the most appropriate use of the federal land and resources”, as it noted that wind and solar are inefficient uses of federal lands when compared to other energy sources with much smaller footprints, like nuclear, gas and coal.
Based on data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), one advanced nuclear plant (2 x AP1000) produces 33.17 MW per acre, while one OSW farm produces approximately 0.006 MW/acre, which is approximately 5,500 times less efficient than one nuclear plant, as per DOI.
The non-profit Oceantic Network criticized the move in a statement, saying the DOI’s latest directives “will prevent an important source of baseload power generation from reaching the grid, when ratepayers are already feeling the effects of rising electricity prices.”