The Interior Department plans to scrap a Biden-era rule prioritizing renewable energy on federal lands and reducing rental fees for solar and wind projects, the agency said Wednesday.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum assailed the rule’s “preferential treatment” of “unreliable” renewable energy, saying in a statement that it imposed “excessive, one-sided restrictions” on fossil fuels.

“This step will restore balance, strengthens our energy independence, and ensures taxpayers get the maximum return from the responsible use of our public lands,” Burgum said.

The Bureau of Land Management in May 2024 finalized the rule, which used the Energy Act of 2020 to …