US solar companies urge Congress to address Trump's solar permit freeze

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Dozens of U.S. solar companies urged federal lawmakers to revoke a Trump administration policy that ​has stalled project permits, they said in a ‌letter to leaders in Congress on Thursday.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

The letter highlights mounting concerns ‌from project developers over stepped-up scrutiny of solar permits by U.S. President Donald Trump's Interior Department at a time of rising energy demand.

KEY QUOTE

"Businesses need certainty in order to continue making ⁠investments in the United ‌States to build out much-needed energy projects," the companies wrote in a letter to Senate Majority ‍Leader John Thune, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. The companies stressed ​that the Interior Department's actions were "tantamount to a nearly ‌complete moratorium on permitting."

CONTEXT

A memo in July from Interior Secretary Doug Burgum required his personal sign-off for dozens of kinds of solar permits, affecting not only projects on federal lands but also those on private lands involving federal resources or consultation.

It ⁠is among the many measures implemented ​by the government this year to ​restrict wind and solar energy, which Trump considers unreliable, expensive, and unfairly subsidized.

BY THE NUMBERS

The Solar Energy ‍Industries Association estimates ⁠that more than 500 solar projects are at risk of delays or cancellation. The letter is signed by ⁠143 companies, including solar developers, installers, manufacturers and power providers.

THE REPLY

The Interior ‌Department was not immediately available for comment.

(Reporting by Nichola ‌Groom; Editing by Paul Simao)