ERIF Assistance Program

Congress provided $350 million to the Permitting Council’s Environmental Review Improvement Fund (ERIF), as part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), to modernize and improve permitting. Leveraging this funding, our agency established the ERIF Assistance Program to make high-impact, targeted investments in process improvements and tools that improve the permitting process for FAST-41 projects and advance permitting excellence.

The ERIF Assistance Program works to build capacity and tools across the federal permitting community to make the environmental review and authorization process more timely, efficient, and effective. 

Federal Agency Investments

In October 2023 the Permitting Council announced a commitment to aid federal agencies and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of infrastructure permitting reviews and authorizations. 

• Investment: Over $170 million in funding provided by the Permitting Council to support resources, including human capital, that will provide agencies with capacity and tools necessary to maintain appropriate rigor while accelerating reviews and approvals of critical infrastructure.  

• Impact: Agencies are using the funding to build capacity to improve permitting review timelines, identify process improvements, and integrate permitting best practices into their permitting processes to advance efficiencies.  

Permitting Information Technology (IT) Investments

In 2024 the Permitting Council announced an investment from the ERIF Assistance Program to accelerate and spur technology innovation in environmental review and permitting across the federal government.

• Investment: Over $43 million investment will support 14 IT projects across 12 different federal agencies to improve technology solutions that drive efficiencies in the permitting process. 

• Impact: The investments will incorporate new technologies in permitting processes, from artificial intelligence and GIS mapping, to online applicant portals and innovative data sharing systems. These investments will speed federal permitting review, improve data quality, and foster public transparency through:

  • Technology to automate processes for routine actions, improving public transparency and saving time;

  • New tools to ease the management of complex workstreams and improve data quality for better coordination, analysis and decision making; and

  • Digitizing paper-based processes and improving mapping capabilities.

Tribal Assistance Program (ERIF-TAP)

We recognize the vital role that Tribal governments play in facilitating the environmental review and authorization of FAST-41 projects, particularly those that may affect historic tribal lands, and the Permitting Council seeks to leverage our ERIF resources to support those consultations. 

With more infrastructure projects advancing through the permitting process, there continues to be an increased demand for meaningful tribal consultation on those projects. Without a corresponding increase in tribal capacity, we risk tribal governments being unable to meaningfully engage with the government and project sponsors on infrastructure projects. That’s why the Permitting Council created the ERIF Tribal Assistance Program (ERIF TAP), to support Tribal governments in the necessary consultation activities on FAST-41 covered projects.

• Investment: Initial investment of $5 million available to tribes that are engaged on FAST-41 covered projects. 

• Impact: The Tribal Assistance Program was developed with the intention to facilitate the environmental review and authorization of FAST-41 covered projects by reducing the administrative burden on Tribes. Funds are readily accessible to support a variety of activities associated with Tribal consultations, including paying for staff time and per diem, hiring subject matter experts, purchasing office equipment and supplies, training and other activities in support of “in-progress” FAST-41 projects. We take seriously our trust responsibility with the Tribes and seek to ensure that Tribes have the resources that they need to effectively and meaningfully engage through the environmental review and permitting process. To date, several Tribes have received ERIF TAP funding and we encourage Tribes to submit applications. The Permitting Council reviews requests for ERIF TAP assistance on a rolling basis.