A group of U.S. lawmakers has asked the Department of the Interior (DOI) to provide updated information on wind and solar projects undergoing federal review and comply with congressional reporting requirements on energy projects.

The lawmakers said the DOI had missed three deadlines to submit reports required under the Fiscal Year 2026 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.

The Act requires DOI to submit status reports every 60 days on the execution of funds for the timely review of energy projects.

The House Democrats said DOI missed reporting deadlines on March 24, May 23, and July 22 of this year. They said the first report was submitted recently, but the information provided was outdated.

They requested an updated report by August 28.

Citing the Solar Energy Industries Association, the lawmakers said the DOI’s policies have put 450 solar projects at risk, representing 36% of all planned new power capacity in the U.S.

Project Review Details Sought

The lawmakers asked DOI to provide a comprehensive list of projects currently under review that fall under a July 15, 2025, directive requiring decisions, actions, consultations, and other undertakings related to wind and solar energy to receive the Interior Secretary’s approval.

They also sought the status of each project in the review process.

The letter sought a list of wind and solar projects for which DOI has completed reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act and issued the authorizations necessary to begin construction since July 15, 2025.

The lawmakers also asked for details of wind and solar projects that DOI has rejected or whose sponsors have withdrawn since that date.

The DOI must also disclose what steps it is taking to comply with the requirement to ensure timely reviews of all energy projects and submit reports every 60 days.

Wind and Solar Projects Impacted

The lawmakers alleged that DOI’s procedures have disadvantaged wind and solar projects compared with other energy sources. They cited directives on considering an energy project’s ‘capacity density’ and the July 2025 approval requirement for wind and solar projects.

They also claimed the additional procedures have made clean energy projects take longer to develop or be canceled.

The letter also cited an analysis by the Corporate Energy Buyers Association estimating that constraints on clean energy development could add $81.2 billion to household energy bills over the next seven years.

Heightened federal oversight, driven by a DOI memorandum calling for reviews of solar and wind energy projects, could expose around 12 GW of projects on federal lands and 80 GW on private lands to permitting risks, casting uncertainty over $121 billion in investments, according to Wood Mackenzie.