In a sweeping policy shift with significant implications for renewable energy development, the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a memo on July 15, 2025 that restructures the permitting and review process for wind and solar projects under its jurisdiction. The directive identifies 69 categories of routine actions—such as biological assessments, rights-of-way grants, NEPA documentation, construction and operation plans, and species or cultural resource consultations—that must now undergo elevated review. Any action involving a DOI nexus, such as development on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land or a consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), must be reviewed sequentially by the Executive Secretariat, the Deputy Secretary, and the Secretary of the Interior. This significantly increases administrative oversight and the potential for project delays.
The DOI memo goes further by formally prohibiting wind and solar energy projects from using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Information for Planning and Consultation (IPaC) system. The notice now posted on the IPaC website cites the DOI directive titled Departmental Review Procedures for Decisions, Actions, Consultations, and Other Undertakings Related to Wind and Solar Energy Facilities, and explicitly states that wind and solar developers are no longer eligible to access the IPaC system. This effectively cuts off a key planning tool that has long helped developers identify endangered species and critical habitats in early project stages.
Despite the DOI’s restrictions on IPaC, developers still have powerful tools at their disposal. Software platforms like Transect continue to provide access to environmental constraints data, including species and habitat information, by sourcing from the USFWS ECOS (Environmental Conservation Online System) database, along with numerous other federal, state, and local resources. Transect’s system remains fully operational and is not impacted by the IPaC ban. Users can still rely on Transect to identify potential wildlife conflicts based on habitat and range, visualize mapped critical habitat and species element occurrence areas, and conduct early-stage risk analysis for solar and wind projects. This ensures that renewable developers can continue to move forward with environmental due diligence, even amid shifting federal policy.
Transect offers a stable alternative by providing developers with constraints analysis and permitting recommendations that continue to meet industry standards. While IPaC access may be restricted, project planning doesn’t have to stall. Transect can help keep projects moving forward by ensuring that environmental risk is still assessable, mappable, and mitigable—even when federal systems aren’t fully accessible. If you are interested in learning more, schedule a demo today.
Transect Team
