"Renewable Developers Locked Out Of Online Permitting Tool"

"Wind and solar companies say they can’t use the mapping tool, which can quickly determine issues with endangered species or habitat."

"The bureaucratic hurdles erected by the Interior Department for wind and solar projects get down into the nitty-gritty.

Since last summer, developers are no longer allowed to use a government website that helps with a basic preliminary task for projects: identifying what endangered species are found in a particular area.

Unlike any other companies that must clear their permitting through federal agencies, wind and solar companies can’t rely on a Fish and Wildlife Service online map tool that can quickly determine if there is an imperiled species, migratory bird or sensitive habitat that could be harmed by a project.

Wind and solar advocates say the loss of a basic online tool is just one example in the permitting gauntlet the Trump administration set up for their projects, whether on public or private land."

Ian M. Stevenson reports for E&E News April 7, 2026.