WASHINGTON (Realist English). The United States has cancelled what would have been the largest solar project in North America, deepening the Trump administration’s campaign against renewable energy despite rising national demand for electricity.
Late on Thursday, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) revoked its approval for Esmeralda 7, a massive 6.2-gigawatt solar complex in Nevada that was expected to power nearly 2 million homes. The project — launched under the Biden administration and backed by NextEra Energy, the country’s largest renewables developer — had been a flagship initiative for America’s clean energy transition.
The Esmeralda 7 plan called for seven solar farms and large-scale battery storage systems across 62,300 acres of federal land northwest of Las Vegas. The consortium included Arevia Power, ConnectGen and Invenergy, all major US energy developers.
Instead, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum’s department has accelerated approvals for oil, gas and coal projects while tightening regulations for solar and wind installations.
Since January, several offshore wind ventures have faced similar setbacks. In April, Burgum ordered Equinor to halt work on its Empire Wind project and temporarily suspended Ørsted’s Revolution Wind, citing “regulatory irregularities.” Though both projects were later cleared, industry leaders say the administration’s erratic policy shifts have undermined investor confidence and long-term grid planning.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly labelled renewable energy a “scam” and vowed to restore what he calls “true American energy dominance” through fossil fuels.
The cancellation comes amid a sharp increase in electricity demand, driven by AI-powered data centres, electric vehicles, and home electrification. Nevada utility NV Energy projects demand to rise 34% by 2035 compared with 2022 levels.
“We remain deeply concerned that this administration continues to flout the law to the detriment of consumers, the grid, and America’s competitiveness,” said Ben Norris, vice president of regulatory affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association. “We need more power on the grid fast — and the solar and storage industry is ready to deliver it.”
The Interior Department did not explicitly confirm the cancellation but said it had “agreed to change approach” with developers, allowing them to submit smaller, individual project proposals to “better assess environmental impacts.”
NextEra Energy said it remains committed to “completing a comprehensive environmental analysis in cooperation with federal authorities.”
Industry analysts warn the Esmeralda 7 decision could signal a broader rollback of federal renewables policy, potentially delaying hundreds of gigawatts in planned clean energy projects at a time when the US grid faces record stress and climate targets hang in the balance.
