Home | Trump Administration Advances NEPA Reform Across Federal Agencies

Trump Administration Advances NEPA Reform Across Federal Agencies

Jul 11, 2025 Advocacy | CEQA/NEPA

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As part of a coordinated push to streamline environmental permitting, the Departments of the Interior, Energy, and Agriculture each issued revised National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures. These reforms—driven by President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy Executive Order (E.O. 14154) and the 2023 BUILDER Act —aim to cut red tape, reduce review timelines, and eliminate duplicative regulations that delay infrastructure and energy projects. Details from each department below:

Department of the Interior

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced updated NEPA regulations to expedite reviews for energy and infrastructure development. The rule is intended to prevent what officials described as the “weaponization” of environmental law to block domestic progress and is part of a broader effort to reduce permitting backlogs and regulatory uncertainty. More information is available here.

Department of Energy

The Department of Energy issued an interim final rule updating its NEPA procedures to accelerate approvals for energy infrastructure. Key changes include:

Shorter environmental review timelines (two years instead of three);

Clear lead agency designation and a unified review process;

Expanded categorical exclusions for routine activities;

Limits on speculative climate analysis beyond DOE’s jurisdiction, consistent with the Seven County decision.

Several activities, including emergency power orders and natural gas trade with FTA countries, are now exempt from review. This rule can be found in the Federal Register here, with updated guidance here.

Department of Agriculture

Also on June 30, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins unveiled department-wide NEPA reforms that eliminate seven separate agency rules—reducing the Department’s NEPA regulations by 66%. The new rule is intended to speed up approvals for forestry, infrastructure, and rural energy projects while maintaining USDA’s environmental stewardship responsibilities.

The update follows the Council for Environmental Quality’s rollback of outdated federal NEPA procedures and aligns with E.O. 14154. A pre-publication version is available here, and the rule can be found in the Federal Register here.

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