Input Stories

  President Trump ordered agencies to use technology to speed up environmental reviews and permitting for energy and infrastructure projects (Energywire).

The details: “In a presidential memorandum, Trump said agencies should move away from a paper-based system for reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act — a plan that could affect transmission, road, factory and power plant projects.”

• “The Government does not properly leverage technology to effectively and efficiently evaluate environmental permits, causing significant delay to important infrastructure projects that impact our economic well-being,” the president’s directive stated.
• The president charged his Council on Environmental Quality with formulating a “Permitting Technology Action Plan” detailing how software and technology can be used for approvals. It’s due in 45 days, and the agencies have 90 days to implement it after its release.

Innovation: The president also directed the agencies to set up a “Permitting Innovation Center” within 15 days that will help design and test technological solutions to permitting delays.

• This center “shall facilitate agency adoption of prototype software systems, including for case management systems, application submission and tracking portals, automation of application and review processes, data exchange between agency systems, and acceleration of complex reviews,” the White House said.

The NAM says: “Manufacturers in America need clear, consistent and expeditious permitting rules of the road,” said NAM Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin. “The NAM appreciates the administration’s swift moves to make this a reality and calls on Congress to keep up the momentum and pass comprehensive permitting reform.”