Executive Order: Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government's Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects

Date Issued: Jan. 20, 2025
Executive Summary
This executive order temporarily halts all offshore wind energy leasing within the Offshore Continental Shelf (OCS). It aims to address concerns related to marine life, ocean currents, wind patterns, energy costs and the fishing industry by directing a full review of existing federal leasing and permitting practices for both onshore and offshore wind projects. Federal agencies are instructed to pause issuing new or renewed approvals, permits, leases or loans for wind projects.
Policy Actions
- Withdraw from disposition for wind energy leasing all areas within the OCS, excluding leasing related to other purposes such as, but not limited to, oil, gas, minerals and environmental conservation. The withdrawal is for an indefinite period of time.
- Mandate the interior secretary, in consultation with the U.S. attorney general, to conduct a full review of the ecological, economic and environmental necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases. The secretary must identify any legal bases for such removal and submit a report with recommendations to the president. No deadline is given for conducting this review.
- Ban on issuance of new or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases or loans for any onshore or offshore wind projects, pending completion of a comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting activities.
- The interior secretary shall lead the comprehensive assessment and review of federal wind leasing and permitting practices in consultation with relevant executive agencies. No deadline is given for conducting this assessment.
- The assessment should consider the environmental impact of onshore and offshore wind projects on wildlife, assess the economic costs associated with the intermittent generation of electricity and analyze the effect of subsidies on the viability of the wind industry.
- The interior secretary shall place a temporary moratorium on all activities and rights of Magic Valley Energy LLC or any other party under the Record of Decision (ROD) issued by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The interior secretary should also review the ROD and conduct a new, comprehensive analysis of the various interests implicated by the Lava Ridge Wind Project and the potential environmental impacts.
- The Interior Secretary, Secretary of Energy and the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must evaluate the environmental impact and cost to nearby communities of defunct and idle windmills and deliver a report with findings and recommendations for removal of those windmills.
- Directs the U.S. attorney general to inform courts about the order, particularly regarding wind energy projects like the Lava Ridge Wind Project. The attorney general may also request a stay or delay in ongoing litigation or to seek other appropriate remedies, depending on the circumstances.
On Jan. 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued Order 3415, which suspends for the next 60 days any delegations of authority to the heads of department bureaus and offices to take certain agency actions – such as final agency actions taken in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the issuance of Resources Management Plans, any property-related disposals or encumbrances, approvals or amendments of plans of operation under the General Mining Law of 1872, final decisions regarding Revised Statute 2477 claims, hiring decisions and issuance of any renewable energy authorization. Authority to take such actions for the next 60 days are temporarily reserved to positions at the level of the assistant secretaries or higher.
Trump's 2025 Executive Orders: Updates and Summaries
Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group is reviewing President Trump's 2025 Executive Orders and other actions. To read all Executive Order Updates and Summaries, visit our landing page.