Permitting Council Announces $14 Million Investment in Permitting Technology Solutions

WASHINGTON (June 12, 2026) –Today, in coordination with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Permitting Council announced over $14 million to advance technology solutions at federal agencies to improve efficiency in the permitting process and accelerate review timelines. 

A group of three projects will receive funding from the Permitting Council’s Environmental Review Improvement Fund to develop technology solutions that improve the efficiency of federal permitting. The Permitting Council announced a permitting technology funding opportunity to member agencies in September 2025 and selected projects in close coordination with CEQ and the Office of Management and Budget. These projects advance President Trump’s Memorandum Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century and support CEQ’s Permitting Technology Action Plan. 

“I am thrilled to support our federal partners in advancing innovative technology solutions to improve federal permitting,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “Streamlining permitting is critical to achieving President Trump’s economic and national security goals. Through these targeted investments, the Permitting Council is supporting solutions that will speed critical infrastructure projects and maintain American energy dominance.”

“President Trump has led the way for Federal agencies to modernize permitting, leveraging technology solutions to build American infrastructure projects faster, while maintaining practical environmental oversight,” said Katherine Scarlett, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality. “The investments announced today build on a broader administration initiative to issue a government-wide strategy for optimizing technology to effectively and efficiently evaluate environmental permits, as outlined in the Permitting Technology Action Plan.”

"Under President Trump's unrivaled and steady-handed leadership, and with Secretary Driscoll as a true change agent for Army transformation initiatives, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finally tackling the bureaucratic delays that have hindered American infrastructure for decades,” said Adam R. Telle, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. “This crucial investment from the Permitting Council is a cornerstone of our 'Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork' change initiative. This funding allows us to deploy new technology to provide regulatory clarity and slash bureaucratic hurdles, which will accelerate economic activity while protecting our nation's vital water resources."

“The EA Agent Tool represents a new addition to NTIA’s suite of permitting and NEPA resources, designed to increase efficiency, lower costs, and deliver better outcomes for the American people,” said Arielle Roth, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator. “By harnessing AI to streamline and accelerate NEPA analyses for NTIA-funded projects, this tool will help projects move forward faster and support the nationwide expansion of broadband availability.”

“Coast Guard greatly appreciates receiving Permitting Council IT funding to continue development of our Online Bridge Permit Application System,” said RADM Wayne Arguin, Assistant Commandant for Prevention, with responsibility for nationwide bridge management programs. “This tool will deliver intuitive, easy to use permitting assistance with greater transparency and speed, that enhances safety and security of the Marine Transportation System and ensures maritime dominance for the United States.”  

Selected projects:

• Department of Homeland Security/U.S. Coast Guard - Online Bridge Permit IT Solution ($4.8 million): This funding will allow the U.S. Coast Guard to develop a new online bridge permit application system that will allow applicant communication and file sharing, while transforming disparate elements into seamless workflows. This project will bring efficiency to environment reviews and authorizations, reducing duplication and errors, while providing greater transparency throughout the permitting process.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Regulatory Program Digital Modernization Initiative ($7.1 million): The USACE plans to develop a fully integrated, AI-augmented, workflow-driven system that will reduce or eliminate staff-time spent on routine data management, foster more focused and efficient review, and expedite inter- and intra-agency collaborations. Currently, USACE-REG operates across five disparate legacy systems, hindering efficiency, data integration, and the adoption of advanced technologies such as AI and digital labor. 

• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) - Tiered EA Agent Tool ($2.8 million): NTIA’s AI-powered Tiered Environmental Assessment (EA) solution will streamline the NEPA review process by automating EA drafting for projects that cannot be categorically excluded. This innovation can cut EA timelines by 30–60 days, reduce costs by up to 50%, and potentially save millions across NTIA programs—accelerating broadband deployment while ensuring compliance and consistency. NTIA estimates a time savings of 3 to 6 weeks (approximately 15-20%), resulting in cost savings of $4.5 to $9 million for BEAD alone.

Learn more about the Permitting Council at permitting.gov.