On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued a memorandum aimed at modernizing the environmental review and permitting processes within the Federal government. This directive encourages the use of modern technology to streamline the review and permitting of infrastructure projects, ensuring that Federal agencies can efficiently conduct necessary evaluations and provide clearer timelines for approvals. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) will develop a Permitting Technology Action Plan to guide these improvements, establishing a Permitting Innovation Center to facilitate the adoption of new software and optimize agency coordination.

The memorandum addresses the inefficiencies and unpredictability of the current environmental review and permitting process, which has been criticized for its lack of transparency and outdated methods. The process often involves multiple Federal agencies and can take a decade or more to complete infrastructure projects. By promoting technological integration, the administration seeks to eliminate duplicative efforts among agencies, thus expediting project timelines and supporting economic growth.

As part of the broader America First agenda, this initiative reflects President Trump’s commitment to enhancing the nation’s infrastructure while reducing bureaucratic hurdles. The proposed changes aim to restore American prosperity by making the permitting process more effective, transparent, and predictable. This effort builds upon previous actions taken by the administration to simplify environmental regulations, thereby facilitating quicker responses to infrastructure needs.

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