Several states have seen their wind and solar plans affected or cancelled in 2025, often due to changes in federal policy rather than direct state actions. Notably, the federal government canceled funding for the national "Solar for All" program, affecting states like California, Arizona, Maryland, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, and Massachusetts that were slated to receive funds for solar projects. Additionally, plans for offshore wind development have been halted in several coastal states, including Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, New York, California, and Maine, as the federal government stopped designating new wind energy areas off their coasts.
Federal policy changes affecting state plans
"Solar for All" program cancellation: In August 2025, the EPA ended this $7 billion program, citing budget realignments and changes to congressional appropriations. This immediately impacted states that were allocated funds to develop solar projects for low-income households.
Offshore
wind cancellations: The federal government has rescinded all designated wind
energy areas off the coasts of several states, halting plans for offshore wind
lease sales. The states affected include Oregon, Texas, Louisiana, New
York, California, and Maine.
The
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has ended the setting aside of large
areas for "speculative wind development".
State and project-level impacts
Nevada: The Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) canceled plans for the multi-developer Esmeralda 7 solar project, which was set to be the largest solar installation in North America.
New Jersey: The cancellation of the "Solar for All" program will significantly impact the state's efforts to expand solar energy, especially for low-income residents who would have benefited from the program.
Illinois: The state, which ranks high for wind power additions, has seen efforts to repeal or dilute its previously permissive siting reforms.
Texas and Oklahoma: Both states have seen a concentration of activity aimed at blocking renewable energy, with some of the most restrictive legislation occurring in these areas.
In
2025, several states have experienced the effective cancellation or halting of
wind and solar projects due to actions primarily taken by the Trump
administration at the federal level, rather than states unilaterally cancelling
their own plans.
The states most impacted by these federal actions include:
Nevada: A massive solar project, the "Esmeralda 7," was halted after the Bureau of Land Management indicated the project's cancellation, with the administration suggesting developers submit individual proposals instead of pursuing a programmatic analysis.
Rhode Island and Connecticut: Construction was abruptly stopped on the nearly complete Revolution Wind farm, a significant offshore wind project intended to power homes in both states, due to unspecified "national security concerns". A federal judge later overturned the halt order, allowing the project to resume.
New Jersey: The state was prevented from receiving an expected $156 million in federal "Solar for All" grants after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) canceled the entire $7 billion national program. A loan guarantee for transmission infrastructure related to an offshore wind project was also withdrawn.
California: The state's planned hydrogen hub, the Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems, had up to $1.2 billion in funding canceled by the Department of Energy. The state also lost a significant amount of the "Solar for All" grants.
Oregon, Maryland, Maine and others: The Interior Department also canceled plans for new offshore wind projects off the coasts of several other states.
In addition to project cancellations, states such as Arkansas, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma and Texas passed bills in their 2025 legislative sessions that generally make it harder to site new renewable energy projects within their borders.
The key driver for these cancellations and roadblocks has been the Trump administration's policy reversal on clean energy initiatives and the subsequent cancellation of associated federal funding and permits.
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+states+are+cancelling+their+wind+and+solar+plans+in+2025
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader
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