Overview
- Doug Burgum, testifying Wednesday to the House Natural Resources Committee, confirmed the administration will appeal an April court order that sided with clean‑energy groups over Interior’s permitting changes.
- During the hearing, Burgum said solar projects produce zero electricity when the sun goes down, prompting Rep. Jared Huffman to note that grid-scale batteries store solar power for use at night.
- The judge’s preliminary injunction targeted a July Interior memo that raised approvals to near‑secretary level, blocked an online tool for environmental reviews, and effectively limited wind and solar on federal land.
- Pressed on compliance, Burgum did not say whether Interior would follow the injunction while the appeal proceeds.
- Rep. Susie Lee said Nevada has seen zero new permits in the past year and urged Interior to resume approvals to support energy needs tied to fast-growing uses like artificial intelligence.