Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Investment in Innovative Technologies to Improve Efficiency of Federal Permitting for Critical Infrastructure

$30 Million from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act will support vital IT improvements at federal agencies to speed federal permitting review, improve data quality, and foster public transparency

WASHINGTON, April 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Permitting Council (Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council) is pleased to announce the allocation of over $30 million in funding to enhance permitting efficiency across the federal government as part of President Biden's Investing in America agenda. These funds will enable federal agencies to build and improve critical IT tools and invest in innovative technologies to advance the efficiency of federal permitting reviews and authorizations of infrastructure projects.  These investments come at a critical time to enable agencies to meet the influx of applications resulting from once-in-a-generation investments from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act.

"Today's action by the Permitting Council is an important step forward as we continue to fulfill our role as a permitting center of excellence, supporting the President's ambitious infrastructure goals," said Eric Beightel, Permitting Council Executive Director. "In order to capitalize on the tremendous opportunity to transition to a clean energy economy and rebuild our nation's infrastructure, we need to make sure that federal agencies are equipped with state-of-the-art IT resources that will support meaningful public engagement, enhance transparency and timeliness of decisions without sacrificing environmental quality." 

The $30 million in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act will support 13 IT projects in 11 different federal agencies which will incorporate new technologies into permitting processes, from artificial intelligence and GIS mapping to online applicant portals and innovative data sharing systems. These investments will accelerate and spur innovation in environmental permitting across the federal government through 1) technology to automate processes for routine actions, improving public transparency and saving time, 2) new tools to ease the management of complex workstreams and improve data quality for better coordination, analysis and decision making, and 3) leveraging cutting-edge technologies to save time and improve outcomes. Visit the Permitting Council website for more information.

About the Permitting Council

Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Permitting Council is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. 

SOURCE Permitting Council