More than two dozen wind farms across the U.S. are being delayed as the Trump administration sits on military reviews that were once considered routine.

Why it matters: The delays are dragging down a race led by tech companies — and backed by President Trump — to build power-hungry data centers to lead the global AI race.

By the numbers: At least 30 onshore wind farms projects are affected by the Pentagon paperwork logjam, according to Jason Grumet, head of the American Clean Power Association.

• At roughly 200 to 300 megawatts each, that's about 7.5 gigawatts of stalled capacity.
• Even accounting for the variability of wind, those farms could produce enough electricity to power several cities — or multiple large data centers.

The reviews are necessary to make sure the wind farms' turbines won't interfere with military radar or aviation systems.

Driving the news: The trade group is awaiting a response to a letter it sent earlier this month to Assistant Secretary of Defense Dale Marks requesting an explanation for the delays.

What they're saying: "It is quite astounding that in the midst of this discussion about making the permitting system and governing system more efficient, we just have direct obstruction," Grumet told Axios in an interview.

• Grumet's comments, on the sidelines of the CERAWeek conference last week as part of an upcoming episode of the "Shocked" podcast, represent his first public remarks on the matter.

How it works: The clearance processes are usually routine, and the Pentagon negotiates any fixes that need to be made.

• It's the so-called "mitigation agreements" that are suddenly piling up unsigned in the last several months.

The big picture: Trump has long shown disdain for renewable energy, especially wind energy — and even more specifically — offshore.

Between the lines: The administration's position on wind energy is uneven, though.

• Last week, the Interior Department announced a rare agreement with TotalEnergies, a French energy company, to cancel its offshore wind leases totaling $1 billion and repurpose that money toward oil and gas projects.
• Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who oversaw wind growth as North Dakota governor, told Axios at last week's CERAWeek conference in Houston that onshore wind is more affordable and has fewer national security concerns.
• "North Dakota is not an attack vector," Burgum said. "Being literally in the center of North America is not a spot where we have to worry about drone attacks or submarine attacks coming."

The other side: The Pentagon and the White House didn't respond to requests for comment by press time.

What we're watching: These delays — and the unusual deal struck last week with TotalEnergies — are likely to become flashpoints in Washington's protracted debate over permitting reform.

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Momentum is building for a gas tax holiday to help drivers who are feeling pain at the pump.

Why it matters: Gasoline prices edged closer to the $4-a-gallon mark this morning, rising from $3.98 to $3.99 a gallon, per AAA.

The big picture: A national gas tax holiday would temporarily suspend the federal gas tax, currently 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. Those figures don't include state taxes, which can be higher.

• The tax provides more than $23 billion per year to fund federal highway and public transit programs. Inflation — plus growth in electric and more fuel-efficient cars — has crippled the fund's purchasing power.

Driving the news: Georgia's governor signed a bill on March 20 that temporarily suspends the state's gas tax for 60 days. Lawmakers in California, Florida, Maryland, Connecticut and Utah are considering similar measures.

• In Congress, Democratic lawmakers earlier this month introduced legislation to suspend the federal gas tax, but the bills are unlikely to pass in the Republican-controlled House and Senate without Trump's support.
• Trump hasn't ruled out the notion of having a gas tax holiday, saying last week: "It's something we have in our pocket if we think it's necessary."

Yes, but: The idea has plenty of critics. Rapidan Energy Group founder and president Bob McNally has dismissed it as a "sideshow" that doesn't address the issue of restoring energy flows in the Middle East.

What we're watching: Congress, which would have to approve any federal suspension.

HOUSTON — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will release a draft rule soon shaping its procedures for implementing a key environmental permitting law, NRC Chair Ho Nieh said.

Why it matters: It's the latest example of an agency seeking changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) — a push that's drawn criticism from Trump administration critics worried the administration seeks to water down the law.

• The Interior Department last month issued a final rule that cut many regulations tied to implementing NEPA, replacing them with more general guidelines.

Driving the news: Nieh mentioned the NEPA plan in an onstage discussion at last week's CERAWeek conference. He later told Axios that he couldn't provide specifics yet.

• "We want to make sure we're fully compliant with NEPA, but doing [it] in a way that supports efficient licensing," he said.
• The agency last week issued a new regulatory pathway for advanced reactors that seeks to license them more quickly and simply.

Zoom in: Nieh took over as NRC's chairman in January after having served as Southern Co.'s vice president of regulatory affairs. He previously spent more than 20 years as an NRC staffer, including a stint as director of its reactor regulation office.

• He told Axios that one of his chief priorities is to "create the organizational effectiveness and the teamwork in the agency, that we do our business in a disciplined way, consistently, across the entire agency."
• He added: "That's an area that, in my opinion, we haven't been the best at."

🛢 More oil woes: Oil prices hovered around $115 per barrel this morning, as Iran-backed Houthi militants fired missiles and drones at Israel over the weekend. An oil refinery in Haifa also was struck this morning during an Iranian missile attack.

• Why it matters: Per Reuters, "European Union energy ministers will hold talks on Tuesday to coordinate their response to the disruption to oil ​and gas markets triggered by the Iran war, an internal EU briefing document showed."

🤝 Wind talks: The Trump administration is in talks with companies to cancel more offshore wind leases and pivot the money into fossil fuel investments in deals that resemble the one last week with TotalEnergies, according to the Financial Times.

• What they're saying: Grumet told Amy in their interview that other deals may be harder to strike, since other developers may not have existing fossil fuel investments that may be easy to pivot to.

🗣"God Squad" meeting: Per E&E News, "A federal judge has declined to act on an emergency request from an environmental group to stop the Trump administration from exploring an exemption to the Endangered Species Act for oil and gas drilling."

• Why it matters: The move sets the stage for a rare meeting of government officials known as the "God Squad" tomorrow.

🪨 Nodule news: Cobalt Blue and deep-sea mining firm Glomar Minerals have formed a consortium to advance a U.S. processing facility for polymetallic nodules — a major future source of metals needed for EV batteries.

• Why it matters: "This opportunity represents a game changer to redefine critical mineral dependence and assist the United States to win the race for polymetallic nodule supremacy," Glomar chairman Robbie Diamond said.

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