TL:DRThe US Department of the Interior plans to slice more than 90% off the time it takes to conduct environmental reviews of oil, gas and other energy projects on federal lands, although some policy analysts see limits on the universe of players that could take advantage of the streamlined approach.The strategy, announced late Wednesday,
lays out an alternative to lengthy National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa) reviews, purporting to shrink the typical completion time from one to two years to under a month.Under Nepa, major federal permits are subject to extensive analysis requiring multiple agencies to weigh in on potential environmental impacts. The process can stretch on for years, thanks in part to green groups' suing in hopes of halting energy development on federal lands, the vast majority of which are in the western US.
'National Energy Emergency'
The strategy stems from the Trump administration’s declaration of a national energy emergency, which unlocked directives for agencies to find ways to streamline the buildout of major energy infrastructure such as gas and oil pipelines and LNG export facilities. Earlier this year, the US Army Corps of Engineers laid out a similar avenue for streamlining water permitting for large pipeline projects.
The US oil and gas industry has repeatedly called for Congress to pass durable permitting reform, including judicial reform aimed at limiting legal challenges to federally approved projects. But lawmakers have yet to advance any such legislation.“The United States cannot afford to wait,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement. “We are cutting through unnecessary delays to fast-track the development of American energy and critical minerals — resources that are essential to our economy, our military readiness and our global competitiveness.”
`According to Interior documents, the streamlined approach is available for actions around the leasing, siting, production, transportation, refining or generation of oil, gas, lease condensates, natural gas liquids, refined products, uranium, biofuels, coal, critical minerals, hydropower and geothermal.
Wind and solar are notably left off the list.`
28 Days Later?
`The department lays out targets for dramatically shorter environmental assessments (EAs) — typically used for projects with a small environmental footprint — to take only 14 days.
Current timelines for EAs tend to span several months to a year.`
For larger projects requiring a full environmental impact statement (EIS), which can take years, Interior will aim to complete reviews within 28 days, an ambitious timeline considering an EIS often involves coordination among multiple agencies.Interior also lays out expedited review processes under two federal laws that often ensnare energy projects: the Endangered Species Act and a historical preservation statute.
The timelines are not automatic, however. Project developers must make a formal request for Interior to utilize the “alternative arrangement” for conducting the environmental reviews.
Policy watchers say that raises questions about how many project developers are willing to test the waters by taking advantage of the new approach.
A ClearView Energy analysis Thursday suggests that developers "might still weigh the risks associated with this latest hurry-up approach on a project-by-project basis, at least until the permits approved under the emergency permitting procedure prevail in federal courts.”
The 28-day timeline is drawing skepticism from some in the industry as well. While oil and gas developers strongly favor Nepa reform, one industry source notes the short period to complete an EIS may not be feasible.
“I would think the bigger the project, the less likely they would be to seek this for a number of reasons,” the source added.
Other oil and gas lobbyists suggest the directive could facilitate other avenues for streamlining the Nepa process, such as making better use of carveouts for certain oil and gas activities authorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, or EPAct.
“Redundant Nepa is a tool that has been used by the bureaucracy for years to slow projects,” Kathleen Sgamma, president of the Western Energy Alliance, told Energy Intelligence. “We’re glad the Interior Secretary has recognized the weaponization of Nepa and is committed to clearing it out.”
My Thoughts 💭
Wow! If the Trump administration can pull this off it would be a massive win for construction and the development of new energy sources. I recently posted to SN on how environmentalists groups got. A judge to stop a Dam project in Colorado due to environmentalists using a permit the army corps of engineers probably made a mistake on.
Rivers catching on fire in the 1960s was a clear sign that the government needed to do more to protect the environment but now in 2025 it has over corrected where it is almost impossible to develop any energy source on time and budget.