Interior’s Leadership in the Biden-Harris Administration’s Clean Energy Agenda

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For the Biden-Harris administration, creating a clean energy economy is not only about combating the climate crisis, but also about creating good-paying jobs, lowering energy costs and strengthening the American economy. Under the leadership of Secretary Deb Haaland, the Department of the Interior is delivering on the President’s historic clean energy goals. 

From deploying solar energy on public lands to building an offshore wind industry in our federal waters, the Department is working to responsibly harness America’s natural resources while creating new opportunities for communities.  

Making Our Public Lands Part of the Solution 

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By advancing large-scale clean energy projects, the Department is ensuring that lands and waters managed on behalf of the American people are part of the solution to the most pressing environmental crisis of our time. 

Onshore, the Department has surpassed its goal and facilitated the development of over 29 gigawatts of clean energy on public lands — enough to power more than 12 million homes. Under Secretary Haaland’s leadership, the Department has approved 41 renewable energy projects, including some of the largest solar and transmission developments in U.S. history. These include transformative initiatives such as the Greenlink West Transmission Project, a 472-mile-long project in Nevada that will connect clean energy sources to power 1.2 million homes, and the Libra Solar Project, which will generate and store enough clean energy to power over 212,000 homes. Each project not only reduces harmful greenhouse gas emissions, but also brings good-paying jobs to rural and underserved areas, ensuring that the economic benefits of clean energy reach every corner of the country. 

The Bureau of Land Management plays a central role in this effort, working tirelessly to streamline the permitting process, prioritize low-impact development areas, and ensure that environmental and community considerations are factored into every decision. Recently, the BLM announced a proposed update to the Western Solar Plan, which guides development to high-opportunity areas across the West, reducing land-use conflicts and expediting project approvals. 

Leading the Charge on Offshore Wind Development

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The Department’s leadership extends beyond the nation’s shores. When President Biden and Vice President Harris took office, there were zero approved commercial-scale offshore wind projects. Today, the Department has approved 10 major offshore wind projects with a capacity of more than 15 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy — enough to power over 5 million homes and equivalent to half of the capacity needed to achieve President Biden’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030.

One of the latest achievements is the approval of an offshore wind project off the coast of Maryland, which has the potential to generate 2 gigawatts of clean energy and power 770,000 homes. This project alone will support nearly 2,700 jobs annually during its development and construction phases over the next seven years, marking a significant boon for local communities and economies.

Since the start of the Biden-Harris administration, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has held four offshore wind lease auctions – including a record-breaking sale offshore New York and New Jersey, a sale offshore the Carolinas, and the first-ever sales offshore the Pacific and Gulf Coasts – with a sale in the Gulf of Maine expected before the end of the year. Over the next four years, the Department plans to hold up to 8 more offshore wind lease sales.

Collaborating with Tribes, States and Communities

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Collaboration is at the heart of the Department’s progress. By engaging states, Tribes, local governments, and community organizations early and often, the Department is building a transparent, inclusive process that ensures all voices are heard. This approach is essential not only to ensure environmental and cultural resources are protected but also to build trust and foster lasting partnerships in the communities that will host these projects for generations. The Department’s commitment to community-focused development is evident in every project it undertakes.

Across Indian Country, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Tribal Electrification Program has invested an overall $150 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This will provide financial and technical assistance to connect homes in Tribal communities to transmission and distribution that is powered by clean energy; provide electricity to unelectrified homes through zero-emissions energy systems; transition electrified homes to zero-emissions energy systems; and support associated home repairs and retrofitting needed to install the zero-emissions energy systems. In addition, the program supports clean energy workforce development opportunities in Indian Country.  

For example, Secretary Haaland made the Department’s first Tribal Electrification announcement during a visit to the Hopi Tribe in Arizona, which received $4.2 million through these awards to plan and design solar and storage systems to provide resilient and reliable electricity to up to 300 off-grid, unelectrified households on the reservation. The Tribe also received over $6 million in the second round of awards for a proposed plan that includes the installation of 295 individual Solar Home Systems, five mini-grids serving approximately 65 homes, and 215 solar-only, Grid-Ready Rooftop Solar systems.

Looking Ahead: A Vision for the Future

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As the world faces record-breaking temperatures, extreme weather events, and the ongoing impacts of the climate crisis, this work is more critical than ever. The Department is not just approving projects — it’s building a legacy. By responsibly leveraging America’s public lands and waters, the Department is creating an energy future that is cleaner, more just and inclusive.

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s all-of-government coordination to combat the climate crisis, the Department will continue to show that America’s public lands can be a powerful force for good — driving economic growth, supporting American workers, and delivering a healthier planet for future generations.

There’s more to be done, but the work so far proves that America is up to the challenge — and ready to lead the world in building a sustainable and prosperous energy future for all.