In a move to overhaul how major infrastructure projects are greenlit, the White House has unveiled a new federal plan that leverages technology to accelerate environmental reviews and permitting timelines. This effort follows a major Supreme Court decision in May that limited the scope of required environmental assessments under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on May 30 issued the Permitting Technology Action Plan, an initiative that aims to digitize and modernize permitting workflows across federal agencies. According to a White House news release, the plan is intended to improve the efficiency of infrastructure approvals while maintaining environmental standards.

The action plan also represents a significant step toward fulfilling directives laid out in a memorandum signed by President Donald Trump on April 15, which called for federal agencies to embrace digital solutions in conducting environmental reviews. As outlined on the CEQ’s Permitting Innovation Center website, the memorandum urges agencies “to make maximum use of technology in federal environmental reviews and permitting processes.”

Thomas Shedd, Director of Technology Transformation Services at the General Services Administration (GSA), emphasized the benefits of the new approach. “We will build tools to allow federal agencies to accelerate their environmental review and permitting processes — with results in weeks or months, not years,” Shedd stated in the news release.

Key Features of the Permitting Plan

According to the CEQ, agencies now have 90 days from May 30 to implement core capabilities outlined in the plan. These minimum functional requirements include:

• Data governance and use standards
• Automated project screening
• Automated comment compilation and analysis
• Automated case management tools

The plan is structured around four strategic priorities:

1. Establishing baseline functional capabilities for permitting and review systems.
2. Developing a government-wide data and technology standard for NEPA and permitting.
3. Laying out a detailed timeline and implementation roadmap for agencies.
4. Creating a governance model to support the plan’s long-term execution.

These efforts align with the broader vision of the Permitting Innovation Center, launched on April 30, which aims to digitize how agencies communicate, collaborate, and evaluate projects.

Regulatory Context and Legal Backdrop

This technological push comes amid shifting legal and regulatory landscapes. In Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled 8-0 to narrow the application of NEPA reviews — a decision likely to reduce the number of projects requiring extensive environmental scrutiny.

The Trump administration has long been critical of the NEPA process, which it views as overly cumbersome. Early in his presidency, Trump issued an executive order directing agencies to remove bottlenecks and delays in environmental permitting, including actions that curtailed the CEQ’s authority over NEPA rulemaking.

As part of the new initiative, the CEQ has also introduced a NEPA and permitting data and technology standard to unify the digital tools and terminology used across agencies. The standard is expected to promote consistent workflows and enhance interagency coordination.

“The goal of this data and technology standard is to improve efficiency, transparency and integrity in the NEPA and permitting processes by facilitating data interoperability and enhancing decision-making,” according to the CEQ’s Permitting Innovation Center website.

The CEQ is urging agencies to incorporate the new standards into both existing and upcoming software platforms to ensure smoother implementation.

Looking Ahead

Experts anticipate that this technology-centric plan could significantly reduce project timelines for everything from highway expansions to energy transmission corridors. Supporters argue that modernizing the permitting process is essential for the nation’s competitiveness and resilience.

Still, critics caution that faster approvals should not come at the expense of environmental integrity or community input. How the new systems balance speed and scrutiny remains to be seen as agencies begin to roll out digital tools in compliance with the White House directive.

Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.