Bennet, Hickenlooper, Luján Demand Trump Administration Comply with Injunction to Ensure Prompt Approvals of Wind and Solar Energy Projects

About About Michael Legislation News Press Releases Social Media Newsletter Archive Services Priorities Top Issues Child Tax Credit Investing in Colorado Contact Map Español Acerca de Michael Escribe a Michael Prioridades Servicios Visitando D.C. Bennet, Hickenlooper, Luján Demand Trump Administration Comply with Injunction to Ensure Prompt Approvals of Wind and Solar Energy Projects Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee’s Rural Development and Energy Subcommittee, led Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to demand that the Department of Interior (DOI) comply with a preliminary injunction to ensure […] Aug 27, 2026 | Press Releases Denver — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee’s Rural Development and Energy Subcommittee, led Senators John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) in a letter to Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to demand that the Department of Interior (DOI) comply with a preliminary injunction to ensure covered wind and solar permitting reviews are conducted promptly without illegal bureaucratic roadblocks. In July 2025, the DOI released an order requiring Secretary Burgum’s personal approval for routine wind and solar energy project permitting decisions, which led to massive delays in power projects across the West. In November 2025, Bennet, Hickenlooper, and Luján sent a letter demanding answers to the DOI’s order and highlighting its harmful effects to energy prices and reliability, but never received a response. In April 2026, the U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction to prohibit the DOI and its officials from applying the July 2025 order and other internal DOI orders that make wind and solar permitting processes needlessly delayed and difficult while the court case proceeds. Since then, numerous wind and solar developers report that DOI personnel have illegally continued to force project applicants to repeatedly document and prove their eligibility for these court protections. “[…] Applicants also report that DOI staff have received little or no internal guidance regarding implementation of the Court’s injunction. These reports are not isolated or short-lived: developers continue to describe these delays more than three months after the injunction took effect, indicating an ongoing pattern of noncompliance rather than a transitional implementation issue. DOI’s actions are creating severe regulatory uncertainty, threatening to permanently sideline projects at a time when Western families, farmers, and businesses are facing rising energy demand and higher costs,” wrote the senators. “Western states depend on reliable and affordable energy to keep our grid secure and our economies competitive. Wind and solar are the least expensive and fastest-to-deploy sources of new electricity generation available. Dragging out permitting timelines in direct violation of a federal court order is not only illegal, but it also needlessly stalls private investment and drives up household energy costs. Furthermore, your recent testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee, where you reportedly rejected the premise of the ruling and called it “absurd” for a judge to dictate internal processes, raises concerns. While DOI has the right to appeal, it is legally obligated to comply with the injunction. Moreover, impeding the deployment of the lowest-cost energy sources directly undermines the administration’s stated goals of unleashing American energy and ensuring affordability,” continued the senators. Bennet has continuously fought to protect funding for Colorado’s energy projects and condemn partisan project reversals under the Trump administration. In July 2026, Bennet joined Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and the entire Senate Democratic caucus in demanding that Director Vought immediately rescind the Office of Management and Budget’s proposed power grab over federal grants and awards. In May 2026, Bennet joined Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Schumer, and 18 of their Senate colleagues to introduce legislation to protect public scientific research and reports from the influence of political and special interests. In October 2025, Bennet issued a statement following the Trump administration’s targeted cancellation of billions of dollars in funding for energy projects across the country. That same week, Bennet led the Democratic Colorado Delegation in demanding answers from Secretary Wright on the Department of Energy’s abrupt cancellation of $7.56 billion in energy project funding, including over $600 million in funding for 38 Colorado-affiliated projects. Additionally, Bennet joined Murray, Heinrich, and 34 Senate colleagues in sending a letter demanding that