The Trump Administration has released a new Permitting Technology Action Plan that will overhaul the way the federal government reviews and approves infrastructure projects.
The plan, developed by the Council on Environmental Quality in coordination with the National Energy Dominance Council and other permitting agencies, is another step in fulfilling President Trump’s directive to bring federal permitting into the 21st century.
The action plan relates to infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, energy facilities, and industrial operations, and comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s April memorandum titled “Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century.” It builds upon the launch of the Permitting Innovation Center on April 30, which is a collaboration with the General Services Administration’s Technology Transformation Services to pilot new digital systems.
The Permitting Technology Action Plan includes several major components:
- Establishes government-wide standards for digital permitting systems to ensure efficiency and consistency.
- Introduces a preliminary data and technology framework for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process, designed to facilitate faster and more uniform environmental reviews.
- Sets a phased schedule for federal agencies to implement the technology upgrades.
- Details interagency coordination mechanisms to support effective execution.
The initiative addresses chronic issues that include fragmented systems, incompatible software, and manual handling of data. The goal is to enable real-time collaboration among agencies, improve transparency, and reduce uncertainty for applicants.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said the plan is “an example of American innovation solving American challenges,” and emphasized that it will result in cleaner, faster, and more reliable infrastructure.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright added that modernizing the permitting process is “essential for strengthening energy security and lowering energy costs for American families.”
The action plan follows President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 Declaration of National Energy Emergency, which established emergency permitting procedures for fossil fuel and mining projects on federal lands and capped reviews at 28 days.
The initiative also coincides with a major Supreme Court decision on May 29 that narrowed the scope of NEPA. The Court ruled NEPA is a procedural statute, not a regulatory hurdle, making it easier for agencies to approve projects without in-depth environmental impact assessments. Industry leaders hailed the decision, while environmental groups warned it could sideline environmental protections in favor of fossil fuel development.
Since Alaska’s economy heavily relies on natural resource extraction, including oil, gas, and minerals, with projects like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas leasing and the Pebble Mine being focal points, the policy framework may help move projects along in an expedited way, reversing the regulatory tangles created by the Biden Administration.
