The Nevada Independent: D.C. Download: Solar Wars

This month, Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) grilled Energy Secretary Chris Wright about a 2025 memo requiring Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to personally sign off solar and wind projects. A federal judge rejected that policy last week, though the clean energy fight isn't over. On Friday, I interviewed Lee about her strategy; our conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

MR: Can you explain the challenges for solar permitting under the Trump admin?

SL: The Trump administration has taken a sledgehammer to solar and wind energy.  It's sort of hypocritical, because they want to do permitting reform, yet, for this type of energy, it has to go all the way to the top. … It's basically so that they can tip the scale in favor of oil and gas development. 

It's almost like a revenge tactic against [President Joe Biden] … [With] the SPEED Act, … I tried many times … to get an amendment that just said, "Let's have parity, don't tip the scale." … As this permitting bill moves, I have some champions in the Senate, with [Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)], who literally won't move this bill until my language, or language similar to mine, makes it into it. So if they want to do permitting reform, they're going to have to deal.

MR: How has Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) done with the administration on this? Will his retirement make it harder for the delegation to interact with the administration?

SL: Well, I expect us to have the majority in the House and possibly the Senate, so … we're going to have a seat at the table come November. I hope Mark can use his retirement maybe to move a lands bill, but honestly, I've engaged with the governor on this issue. I've engaged with a constituent who has a personal friendship with Burgum … I've used every lever I can.  

Burgum recently has given the green light to resume active reviews of roughly 20 solar projects, including some in Nevada. But even if Interior allows a handful of favored projects to proceed, there's been no change in its ongoing underlying weaponization of the permitting process against solar and wind. … At some point, companies are going to take their money and go invest it elsewhere, because there's so much uncertainty. … That's a crazy way to run this country.