First Data Center Project Gains Permitting Council’s FAST-41 Coverage
Contact Information
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)
WASHINGTON (April 2, 2026) – The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is pleased to announce the first data center to ever gain FAST-41 coverage—the QTS Richmond Technology Park Data Center 5. This project aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order Accelerating Federal Permitting of Data Center Infrastructure, which identified the Permitting Council’s role in streamlining federal permitting in support of the buildout of critical AI infrastructure nationwide.
“I am thrilled to welcome the QTS Richmond Technology Park Data Center 5 project as the first data center to gain FAST-41 coverage,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “This project advances President Trump’s vision for a new era of American leadership in technology and artificial intelligence, and I believe it will be the first of many data center projects to benefit from the coordination and transparency of the FAST-41 process.
The QTS Richmond Technology Park Data Center 5 project is located in Richmond, VA. The campus currently has four data center buildings constructed and operational and the Data Center 5 project aims to complete federal permitting for two additional buildings with known environmental impacts. Once permitted, project sponsor QTS Richmond V, LLC anticipates construction to begin by January 2028.
“FAST‑41 provides a clear framework for advancing major infrastructure investments and ensures that projects meet all the requirements of federal permitting and agencies allocate resources and prioritize timelines for covered projects,” said Ryan Hunter, Chief Operations Officer, QTS Data Centers. “We are proud to propose the first data center project for FAST-41 coverage and appreciate the Permitting Council’s recognition that data infrastructure is vital to America’s competitiveness and national security. Our Richmond data center campus expansion is a significant contribution to America’s critical digital infrastructure, and it will meet or exceed all federal and state environmental requirements as we continue our long-term investment in Henrico County, Virginia.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers serves as the federal permitting lead for this project. Learn more on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
About the Permitting Council and FAST-41
Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) is a 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 composed of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members; and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The Office of the Executive Director coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage, which are in turn entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard.
Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.
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Last Updated: Thursday, April 2, 2026