Permitting Council Executive Director Releases Quarterly Member Agency Performance Report

WASHINGTON (January 17, 2025) – This week, the Permitting Council Executive Director released the fiscal year 2024 fourth quarter report to Congress, evaluating federal agency compliance with FAST-41 requirements. The report showcases continued agency progress in improving the federal permitting process, supporting the efficient delivery of critical projects that will help grow the economy and make significant progress towards the nation’s clean energy goals. 

“I am extremely pleased to see the results of our latest quarterly report, as it highlights the Council’s efforts to increase the transparency, accountability and predictability of federal permitting for critical infrastructure projects,” said Eric Beightel, Permitting Council Executive Director. “As the agency continues to grow in its role as a federal center for permitting excellence, I am equally pleased to know that this work will serve as a model government-wide, helping to identify best practices and lessons learned that will aid in transforming federal permitting for years to follow.”

During the fourth quarter of 2024 there were 26 FAST-41 covered projects, with the majority in renewable energy-related sectors. Two projects completed federal permitting during the quarter, including New England Wind and the Port of Corpus Christi Authority Channel Deepening project. 

• New England Wind Project: Comprising two wind energy projects totaling 129 wind turbine generators, the $3 billion New England Wind project is expected to produce up to 2,600 megawatts of renewable energy, enough to power at least 900,000 homes each year. 

• Port of Corpus Christi Project: A major economic engine in the state of Texas, the Port of Corpus Christi is the largest port in the U.S. in total revenue tonnage. The channel deepening project will upgrade the channel with the capacity to accommodate transit of very large crude carriers into the Gulf of Mexico. This $400 million project will expand one of the largest ports in the nation, a major gateway to international and domestic maritime commerce.

One new project joined the FAST-41 portfolio during the fourth quarter:

• Perkins Renewable Energy Project: Located east of El Centro, California on both public and private lands, the $2.5 billion Perkins Renewable Energy project is a solar photovoltaic facility and battery energy storage system that, if permitted, will produce up to 1,150 megawatts of clean renewable energy.

Additional report highlights include:

• Agencies satisfied the requirements for reviewing and updating coordinated project plans (CPPs) for all FAST-41 covered projects on the Dashboard.

• Of the 31 milestones scheduled to occur during the quarter, agencies completed 20 on time, including 7 that were completed ahead of schedule. 

• Agencies submitted 4 requests to the Executive Director to authorize date modifications that would necessitate extensions of final completion dates by more than 30 days after the originally-established final completion date. The Executive Director granted the 4 requests.

The quarterly report is now available at permitting.gov.