Trump administration to appeal court ruling against solar and wind crackdown

Published May 13, 2026 1:38pm ET | Updated May 13, 2026 1:38pm ET



The Trump administration has confirmed it will appeal a district court ruling that ordered the Interior Department to end a set of policies delaying federal permitting for wind and solar projects on federal lands, calling the ruling “absurd.” 

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum lambasted the ruling during a hearing before the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, saying that a single judge shouldn’t dictate how the agency sets its internal process for issuing federal permits. 

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