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Permitting Council Signs MOU with State of Missouri to Advance Critical Infrastructure Projects
Permitting Council signs Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Missouri Governor to coordinate state and federal permitting

Contact Information 
Permitting Council Press Office (media@permitting.gov)

WASHINGTON (July 1, 2026) – Today, Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) Executive Director Emily Domenech signed an MOU with Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe to advance the state and federal permitting of critical infrastructure across the state. The agreement brings permitting transparency to projects in Missouri, with a commitment from the state to opt in to the Permitting Council’s FAST-41 process and align timelines for state and federal environmental reviews. 

“I am thrilled to partner with Governor Kehoe to streamline state and federal permitting,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “As the State of Missouri looks to lead in nuclear innovation and manufacturing, this partnership will support the critical infrastructure development necessary to achieve these goals while providing affordable electricity to Americans in the region. I look forward to working with the governor’s team to identify priority projects within the state and ensure they are permitted transparently and efficiently.”

“The State of Missouri is proud to work with the Trump administration to cut red tape and speed up the permitting process for critical infrastructure development projects,” said Governor Mike Kehoe. “This partnership unlocks a more transparent and efficient permitting process, which will support energy production and help drive investment, innovation, and economic opportunity in Missouri.”

As part of the agreement, the State of Missouri will work with the Permitting Council to identify priority infrastructure projects, enable transparency for state permitting actions, and ensure that state and federal review timelines are aligned to prevent unnecessary delays for critical infrastructure projects. By aligning state and federal permitting timelines, this MOU will ensure that critical infrastructure projects avoid unnecessary roadblocks after completion of the federal environmental review process, providing a transformative level of coordination and transparency between the federal government and Missouri.

The Permitting Council will provide support to projects identified in Missouri, ensuring focused technical assistance, transparency, accountability and predictability in the permitting process. A wide variety of federal support will be offered as part of the agreement, including:  

  • Assisting Missouri in identifying eligible FAST-41 projects;

  • Engaging with Missouri to identify and support gaps in federal knowledge and provide opportunities to share state expertise;

  • Convening meetings with appropriate state and federal agencies to ensure streamlined and coordinated review and to avoid duplicative efforts; and

  • Exploring opportunities to improve state permitting processes, to include providing access to technology designed to streamline permit applications.

The Trump Administration is the first to use the Permitting Council’s statutorily defined ability to enter into federal-state agreements. This is the fifth federal-state MOU signed by the Permitting Council. Agreements were previously signed with the states of Alaska, Idaho, Tennessee, and Utah, with additional states to follow. 

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: Wednesday, July 1, 2026