On August 21, 2025, the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Secretary Rollins issued a memorandum announcing a new policy to prioritize land use efficiency when considering proposals for power generation projects on national forest lands. The memorandum directs the Forest Service to develop screening criteria for applications for projects that incorporate land use efficiency metrics so as to "optimize energy generation per unit of land area."
This action is taken pursuant to President Trump's agenda to increase domestic energy production and reduce reliance on foreign energy sources.