The Biden-Harris administration is making headway on delivering its promise of a streamlined permitting process for crucial infrastructure and clean energy projects—their efforts are touted to generate jobs, tackle climate change, and cut costs for families. In a recent White House release, these strides include shrinking the time frame for environmental reviews and expanding categorical exclusions for projects with minimal environmental impact.
Buoyed by funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and changes realized under the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, the administration has set in motion a Permitting Action Plan with the ambitious goal of accelerating project timelines without compromising environmental responsibility. For example, the Department of Transportation has reported an improvement in completing environmental assessments, with the average time reduced to 9.6 months from the 15.4 month timeline during the prior administration.
Aiming to galvanize America's shift to renewable energy, the Department of the Interior has already greenlit over 25 gigawatts of clean energy projects on public lands and approved the nation's first 10 gigawatts of large-scale offshore wind construction, well ahead of their 2025 target. The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has bolstered these efforts by finalizing the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule, simplifying the federal environmental review process. This includes elements such as clear deadlines for reviews, limits on document lengths, and promotion of shared environmental analyses.
On the frontline of infrastructure advancement, the finalization of the Bipartisan Permitting Reform Implementation Rule is a notable milestone. It mandates agencies to consider climate change effects during environmental reviews and highlights the urgency of involving communities early on, especially those facing environmental justice issues, according to the White House's fact sheet. These steps are not only about building infrastructure but also ensuring projects garner community support and achieve favorable environmental outcomes.
Investments from the Inflation Reduction Act have seeded the expansion of federal staff by 14%, amplifying the government's capacity to manage environmental reviews and permits. Fostering community engagement remains central to the administration's approach, with federal agencies stepping up to prioritize local input. An example is the revival of the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Resource Advisory Committees, aiming to harness community insights for sustainable project outcomes.
