Permitting Council Accelerates U.S. Critical Minerals and Energy Development as FAST-41 Momentum Builds

Highlights

• Missouri became the fifth state to sign a federal-state MOU under FAST-41, joining Alaska, Idaho, Tennessee, and Utah to better coordinate environmental reviews.
• The Dewey Burdock ISR Uranium Project in South Dakota became the first mining project to complete the FAST-41 federal permitting process, boosting domestic uranium supply.
• The Permitting Council announced over $14 million in technology investments including AI-assisted review tools and digital platforms to accelerate environmental review timelines.
• FAST-41 coverage expanded to the Piney Woods Development Project in Texas, a natural gas infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening domestic energy reliability.
• Faster and more predictable permitting is emerging as a strategic asset for U.S. critical minerals independence, potentially rivaling geology in importance.

The U.S. Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) has announced a series of developments that could materially improve the pace of permitting for critical infrastructure, energy, and mining projects—an increasingly important issue as the United States seeks to reduce dependence on foreign supply chains during what Rare Earth Exchanges® calls Great Powers Era 2.0.

An interview last year on the Rare Earth Exchanges podcast (opens in a new tab) featured Emily Domenech, Executive Director, Permitting Council (opens in a new tab).

Emily Domenech, Executive Director

The month's announcements include Missouri becoming the fifth state to sign a federal-state memorandum of understanding (MOU) under the FAST-41 program, the completion of federal permitting for the first FAST-41 mining project, expansion of FAST-41 coverage to a major Texas energy project, and a $14 million investment in permitting technology, including artificial intelligence.

Perhaps the most notable milestone for the critical minerals sector is the completion of federal permitting for the Dewey Burdock In-Situ Recovery (ISR) Uranium Project in South Dakota—the first mining project to complete the FAST-41 process. The project is expected to strengthen domestic uranium production, supporting America's growing nuclear energy ambitions and improving resilience across the nuclear fuel supply chain.

Meanwhile, Missouri joined Alaska, Idaho, Tennessee, and Utah in partnering with the Permitting Council to better coordinate state and federal environmental reviews, increasing transparency and helping reduce permitting uncertainty for major infrastructure investments.

The Council also expanded FAST-41 coverage to the Piney Woods Development Project in Texas, a natural gas infrastructure project intended to enhance reliable domestic energy supplies.

Finally, the Council announced more than $14 million in technology investments to modernize permitting across federal agencies. Planned improvements include AI-assisted review tools, digital permitting platforms, and systems designed to reduce duplication, improve interagency coordination, and accelerate environmental review timelines.

Rare Earth Exchanges Perspective

While none of these announcements directly concern rare earth mining, they represent meaningful progress toward addressing one of America's greatest competitive disadvantages: the time required to permit strategic projects. For rare earths, lithium, uranium, copper, and other critical minerals, permitting reform may prove just as important as geology. In an era of intensifying geopolitical competition, faster, more predictable permitting is becoming a strategic asset that could help the United States rebuild domestic industrial capacity and reduce long-term dependence on Chinese-controlled supply chains.

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