Calling All Innovators: Admin Looks for New Tech To Improve Environmental Reviews

What happened: The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced a new “Permitting Innovators” initiative April 28 aimed at improving federal permitting processes through technology-driven solutions.

Why it matters: The agency is signaling a focus on improving permitting efficiency through technology and implementation tools rather than regulatory changes. The effort could influence how agencies streamline environmental reviews, coordinate across jurisdictions, and help reduce project delays.

For ARTBA members, this creates an opportunity to elevate existing tools and approaches that have already improved project delivery timelines and could be adopted more broadly at the federal level.

What’s next: CEQ is accepting submissions through June 2 and is expected to use them to identify solutions for potential deployment across federal permitting programs. The agency will also host an informational webinar on May 14. More information, including webinar details and submission guidance, is available here.