Trump administration threatens 92 gigawatts of new electricity supply with red tape

Allowing the delays pushed by the Trump administration threatens to derail 92 gigawatts of clean energy, even as demand for electricity from AI data centers soars.

Already, allowing the changes and withdrawing federal funding has eliminated 7 gigawatts of generating capacity on federal lands in 2025, according to a new report. He studies From consulting firm Wood Mackenzie. Additional scrutiny could eliminate another 12 gigawatts on federal land and 80 gigawatts on private property.

The report indicated that federal challenges affect more than $121 billion in energy investments.

Electricity demand has soared in recent years after two decades of zero growth, driven in part by the expansion of data centers to fuel the artificial intelligence boom. Data centers are expected to grow in number and scope in the next decade, according to a market forecast at BloombergNEF, which in turn will increase their electricity consumption. Nearly triple by 2035.

Meanwhile, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission requires grid operators to provide a Fast line for network connectionsAlthough it has done little to address the bottleneck in new generation capacity, which is approaching crisis proportions in some areas. In the largest network in the United States, which also hosts the largest number of data centers, network operators have spent the past four years Prevent new generating sources from coming onlineeffectively freezing supply at a time of high demand. No wonder The general public is dissatisfiedAnd technology companies are Forging their own paths By building their own power plants on site.

While the United States was able to add new power plants, renewables were the largest contributor. Representing solar energy, batteries and wind energy nearly 90% Follower Record 53 gigawatts of new generating capacity added in 2025.

The permitted increased friction stems from August 2025 to request From Doug Burgum, US Secretary of the Interior, who sought to “rein in environmentally harmful wind and solar projects.”

While wind and solar were the main targets, energy storage projects were also cancelled, the Wood Mackenzie report found. Most permitting problems are concentrated in Oregon, Alabama, Maine, Minnesota and Montana.

Solar projects on or near private wetlands appear to be most at risk, while wind farms are subject to scrutiny under air space regulations. It is unclear how solar projects will be affected in the coming years given the Trump administration’s recent decision to do so Lifting protection for 80% of wetlands in the United States.

Burgum’s order represents a marked shift from his previous term as governor of North Dakota, during which he oversaw the expansion of wind energy within the state and set a goal for it to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. In 2024, he He brags North Dakota’s rich wind resources, which produced a third of the state’s electricity in 2022.