Year One Trump Administration FAST-41 Accomplishments

WASHINGTON (January 20, 2026) -- As the Trump Administration recognizes the completion of its first year in office, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) celebrates an exciting year of accomplishments. With the largest portfolio in agency history, the Permitting Council is delivering permitting efficiency, executing on President Trump’s energy dominance agenda, and looking ahead to new opportunities in 2026.

“This has been an exciting year for the Permitting Council, as our agency has taken on a prominent role in bringing real, measurable improvements to federal permitting and getting more projects to the finish line,” said Permitting Council Executive Director Emily Domenech. “As we head into the second year of the Trump Administration I look forward to the new achievements to come, from supporting projects in more sectors and states, to investments in technologies that will bring even greater efficiencies to the permitting process.”  

The first year of the Trump Administration saw the Permitting Council portfolio expand by 65 to 76 active projects, with 13 completing federal permitting in just the last year. Standout projects include:

• Alaska LNG: Originally receiving federal permitting approval in 2017, Alaska LNG returned to FAST-41 in 2025 to complete a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) permit renewal. By the end of the year the project completed federal permitting, clearing one of the largest infrastructure projects in modern U.S. history. The 20 million tonne per year LNG project will facilitate development of Alaska’s vast North Slope natural gas resources, providing Alaskans and our allies around the world with a long term and affordable energy source. 

• Sparrows Point Container Terminal: The $1 billion Baltimore port project completed federal permitting in December 2025, becoming the first FAST-41 covered project to finish all permitting actions for all federal agencies early and the first to finish all NEPA milestones earlier than scheduled. 

• Warrior Met Coal Mines: The agency portfolio grew from one mining project prior to the Trump Administration to over 50 by fall 2025. The latest mining project to complete federal permitting is the Warrior Met Coal Mines project. Located in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, the Warrior Met Coal Mines project supports access to metallurgical coal, a critical material used in steel production for manufacturing, infrastructure, and defense applications.

The year also saw the realization of several firsts for the Permitting Council, from the first-ever use of the Council’s transparency authority to the first Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a state. 

• Transparency Authority: The Council used this statutorily identified tool for the first time in 2025 under the direction of the Executive Order (EO) on Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production. This EO is focused on using the Transparency Dashboard to assist in unleashing the nation’s vast mineral resources for use in transportation, infrastructure, defense capabilities, and the next generation of technology. Forty selected mining-related projects received transparency status since March 2025 to drive permitting efficiency. Of that number, nine projects have already completed federal permitting. 

• Statewide MOU: In August 2025 the Permitting Council entered into its first statewide MOU with the state of Alaska. Signed by Executive Director Emily Domenech and Alaskan Governor Mike Dunleavy, the MOU provides for federal permitting assistance through the Permitting Council’s FAST-41 program, as the state and the federal government work together to streamline the permitting process for critical infrastructure projects across Alaska. As part of the agreement, the Permitting Council will provide federal permitting support to select projects in the state, ensuring focused technical assistance, transparency, accountability and predictability in the permitting process. Two Alaskan infrastructure projects have completed permitting since the MOU took effect. 

• Breaking New Ground: In the past year the Permitting Council has prioritized the addition of projects in new sectors and states. In July 2025 the agency welcomed its first manufacturing sector project to FAST-41 coverage--the Riverview East Stack Extension Project. Once permitted, the Florida-based project will provide critical fertilizer products to increase food production nationwide. The agency also increased the number of states with a FAST-41 project by five, bringing the total number to 25 states. 

In this new year the Permitting Council looks to expand its work across the country, identifying FAST-41 projects in new states and sectors previously untapped. The Council also plans to explore opportunities to introduce innovative technologies to expedite permitting across all federal agencies.