Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 18 / Wednesday, January 29, 2025 / Presidential Documents 8363 

Memorandum of January 20, 2025 

Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf From Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the 

Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for 

Wind Projects 

Memorandum for the Secretary of the Treasury[,] the Attorney General[,] 

the Secretary of the Interior[,] the Secretary of Agriculture[,] the Secretary of Energy[, and] the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency 

Section 1. Temporary Withdrawal of Areas. Consistent with the principles 

of responsible public stewardship that are entrusted to this office, with 

due consideration for a variety of relevant factors, including the need to 

foster an energy economy capable of meeting the country’s growing demand 

for reliable energy, the importance of marine life, impacts on ocean currents 

and wind patterns, effects on energy costs for Americans—especially those 

who can least afford it—and to ensure that the United States is able to 

maintain a robust fishing industry for future generations and provide low 

cost energy to its citizens, I hereby direct as follows: 

Under the authority granted to me in section 12(a) of the Outer Continental 

Shelf Lands Act, 43 U.S.C. 1341(a), I hereby withdraw from disposition 

for wind energy leasing all areas within the Offshore Continental Shelf 

(OCS) as defined in section 2 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, 

43 U.S.C. 1331. This withdrawal shall go into effect beginning on January 

21, 2025, and shall remain in effect until this Presidential Memorandum 

is revoked. 

To the extent that an area is already withdrawn from disposition for wind 

energy leasing, the area’s withdrawal is extended for a time period beginning 

on January 21, 2025, until this Presidential Memorandum is revoked. 

This withdrawal temporarily prevents consideration of any area in the OCS 

for any new or renewed wind energy leasing for the purposes of generation 

of electricity or any other such use derived from the use of wind. This 

withdrawal does not apply to leasing related to any other purposes such 

as, but not limited to, oil, gas, minerals, and environmental conservation. 

Nothing in this withdrawal affects rights under existing leases in the withdrawn areas. With respect to such existing leases, the Secretary of the 

Interior, in consultation with the Attorney General as needed, shall conduct 

a comprehensive review of the ecological, economic, and environmental 

necessity of terminating or amending any existing wind energy leases, identifying any legal bases for such removal, and submit a report with recommendations to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Economic 

Policy. 

Sec. 2. Temporary Cessation and Immediate Review of Federal Wind Leasing 

and Permitting Practices. (a) In light of various alleged legal deficiencies 

underlying the Federal Government’s leasing and permitting of onshore and 

offshore wind projects, the consequences of which may lead to grave harm— 

including negative impacts on navigational safety interests, transportation 

interests, national security interests, commercial interests, and marine mammals—and in light of potential inadequacies in various environmental reviews required by the National Environmental Policy Act to lease or permit 


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8364 Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 18 / Wednesday, January 29, 2025 / Presidential Documents 

wind projects, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, 

the Secretary of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection 

Agency, and the heads of all other relevant agencies, shall not issue new 

or renewed approvals, rights of way, permits, leases, or loans for onshore 

or offshore wind projects pending the completion of a comprehensive assessment and review of Federal wind leasing and permitting practices. The 

Secretary of the Interior shall lead that assessment and review in consultation 

with the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary 

of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

the Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. The assessment shall consider the environmental impact of 

onshore and offshore wind projects upon wildlife, including, but not limited 

to, birds and marine mammals. The assessment shall also consider the 

economic costs associated with the intermittent generation of electricity 

and the effect of subsidies on the viability of the wind industry. 

(b) In light of criticism that the Record of Decision (ROD) issued by 

the Bureau of Land Management on December 5, 2024, with respect to 

the Lava Ridge Wind Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), 

as approved by the Department of the Interior, is allegedly contrary to 

the public interest and suffers from legal deficiencies, the Secretary of the 

Interior shall, as appropriate, place a temporary moratorium on all activities 

and rights of Magic Valley Energy, LLC, or any other party under the 

ROD, including, but not limited to, any rights-of-way or rights of development 

or operation of any projects contemplated in the ROD. The Secretary of 

the Interior shall review the ROD and, as appropriate, conduct a new, 

comprehensive analysis of the various interests implicated by the Lava Ridge 

Wind Project and the potential environmental impacts. 

(c) The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Energy, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency shall assess the environmental 

impact and cost to surrounding communities of defunct and idle windmills 

and deliver a report to the President, through the Assistant to the President 

for Economic Policy, with their findings and recommended authorities to 

require the removal of such windmills. 

(d) The Attorney General may, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, provide notice of this order to any court with jurisdiction over 

pending litigation related to any aspect of the Federal leasing or permitting 

of onshore or offshore wind projects or the Lava Ridge Wind Project, and 

may, in the Attorney General’s discretion, request that the court stay the 

litigation or otherwise delay further litigation, or seek other appropriate 

relief consistent with this order, pending the completion of the actions 

described in subsection (a) or subsection (b) of this section, as applicable. 

This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law 

and subject to the availability of appropriations. 


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Federal Register / Vol. 90, No. 18 / Wednesday, January 29, 2025 / Presidential Documents 8365 

This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or 

benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any 

party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its 

officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. You are authorized 

and directed to publish this memorandum in the Federal Register. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

Washington, January 20, 2025 

[FR Doc. 2025–01966 

Filed 1–28–25; 8:45 am] 

Billing code 4310–10–P 


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