U.S. Interior to Implement Emergency Permitting Procedures to Accelerate Energy Development

The U.S. Interior Department on April 23 announced it will execute emergency permitting procedures to fast track the development of critical minerals and domestic energy sources. The permitting procedures are in line with U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring a National Energy Emergency in January 2025.

The order seeks to prioritize domestic fossil fuel production and streamline regulatory barriers to address rising energy demands and reduce consumer costs. The move emphasizes the urgent need to address “a precariously inadequate and intermittent energy supply” and an “increasingly unreliable grid.” The order warns that without swift and decisive action; the situation will worsen in the near future due to surging demand for energy and natural resources driven by the next generation of technology.

The new permitting process is expected to take 28 days at most, having been a multi-year procedure previously.  The energy permitting procedures are designed to accelerate the review and approval process of projects related to production, identification, leasing, refining, transportation or generation of energy within the U.S. The procedures will apply to a number of energy sources, which include natural gas, crude oil, uranium, coal, biofuels, natural gas liquids, refined petroleum products, geothermal energy, critical mineral and kinetic hydropower.

The department noted that the energy emergency declaration recognizes delays in energy project approvals, posing risks to the U.S. national security, foreign policy interests and economic stability. In response, the department will use emergency authorities under current regulations under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act.

With regard to the National Environmental Policy Act, the department will be implementing an alternative compliance process to allow for a shorter timeline and more concise documents. As part of the changes, the review processes for projects requiring environmental assessments and full environmental impact statements have been reduced significantly.