Press Release for FAST-41 Annual Report to Congress for FY 2021
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permittting.gov)
(WASHINGTON) April 15, 2022- Today, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) released its Annual Report to Congress for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. Charged with improving the transparency, predictability and outcomes of the Federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects, the report showcases a commitment to the country’s clean energy future that will build upon the nation’s economic and environmental legacy for generations to come.
“2021 was a remarkable year for the Permitting Council, as we worked in coordination with Federal agencies, project sponsors, and everyday citizens to ensure the permitting process was transparent and accountable, while also committing to include environmental justice at its core,” said Christine Harada, Executive Director of the Permitting Council. “With the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law [BIL or Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act] making the Permitting Council a permanent Federal agency, this is just the beginning of our work to transform the effectiveness of the permitting process, for the benefit of Americans nationwide.”
The Annual Report to Congress details a transformative year for the Permitting Council, as it began the process of establishing itself as an independent Executive Branch agency in advance of becoming a permanent Federal agency with the passage of the BIL in November 2021. The year included active review and agency coordination on 29 projects covered under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) in the offshore wind, solar, electricity transmission, other renewable energy, pipelines, ports and waterways, and water resources sectors. Investments in this infrastructure will play a key role in President Biden’s infrastructure plan, improve the nation’s aging infrastructure, and increase America’s global competitiveness.
Highlights from the report include:
Meaningful Economic Impact: Projects undergoing active Permitting Council review in FY 2021 represent $98 billion in economic investment and nearly 52,000 potential jobs.
Demonstrated Investment in the Country’s Clean Energy Future: Offshore wind, solar and other renewable energy production together represent 44 percent of total economic investment dollars under the Permitting Council’s purview.
Expansion of Offshore Wind Projects: Twelve offshore wind projects make up over 40 percent of the Permitting Council’s project portfolio. These projects are projected to produce over 16 gigawatts of energy, which would power more than 5.9 million homes for one year and offset the greenhouse gas emissions of more than 6 million passenger vehicles driven for one year.
Improved Coordination with Tribes: In FY 2021 the Permitting Council engaged in several initiatives to improve the Federal government’s engagement with federally recognized Tribes in the environmental review and permitting process, including participating in capacity building trainings for Federal agency staff, and developing a FAST-41 eLearning course for Tribes.
Strengthened Commitment to FAST-41 Mission: The Permitting Council initiated significant improvements to the Federal infrastructure Permitting Dashboard that will increase transparency in the Federal permitting process and foster more comprehensive project permitting timetables.
To view the Annual Report to Congress, visit the Permitting Council Website.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) and made permanent in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Permitting Council is a unique federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is comprised of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members (including deputy secretary-level designees of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior, Energy, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, and Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation); and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
The Permitting Council coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage. FAST-41 covered projects are entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard. FAST-41 covered projects may be in the renewable or conventional energy production, electricity transmission, energy storage, surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways, water resource, broadband, pipelines, manufacturing, mining, carbon capture, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, high-performance computing and advanced computer hardware and software, quantum information science and technology, data storage and data management, and cybersecurity sectors. The Permitting Council also serves as a federal center for permitting excellence, supporting federal efforts to improve infrastructure permitting including and beyond FAST-41 covered projects to the extent authorized by law, including activities that promote or provide for the efficient, timely, and predictable completion of environmental reviews and authorizations for federally-authorized infrastructure projects.
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Last Updated: Friday, April 15, 2022