One of the biggest hurdles to undertaking much-needed infrastructure development is a painfully slow permitting process. It can take months or, in some cases, multiple years to get all the necessary permits for new projects.
A little under a century ago, iconic structures like the Hoover Dam and the Empire State Building were completed in a matter of a few short years. Now, it often takes at least that long just to line up the necessary permits.
There are several reasons for the increased permitting delays. Governments at the federal, state, and local level require more approvals than they did in the past. Opponents of growth are more likely to speak out against new projects and file lawsuits trying to block development completely. And government officials sometimes take longer than necessary to review permit applications.
Since many different factors can cause delays, fixing the problem will require a multifaceted solution. It is therefore very encouraging to see that the Trump administration’s recently released Presidential Memorandum on environmental permitting reform takes a multipronged approach. Among other things, it seeks to move to 100% electronic processing, eliminate duplicative data submissions, enhance interagency coordination, and simplify permit reviews and processing.
As the Trump administration rolls out this exciting and much-needed initiative, it should look to state and local governments as models of reform. The most significant permit modernization effort to date comes from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
When Gov. Glenn Youngkin began his term in 2022, he identified permitting reform as a key component of his mission to make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. And he made enhanced transparency the centerpiece of this reform: If the permitting process is a black box, it’s impossible for businesses to plan or for agencies to identify opportunities for improvement.
Over the course of the next two years, Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality and, later, every other state agency that issues permits began the process of adding ongoing applications to the Virginia Permit Transparency online dashboard.
Launched in early 2024, the dashboard lets you track a permit application the same way you would a FedEx package. A series of Gantt charts show every single step in the process, how long it’s supposed to take, and how long it’s actually taking. If there’s a delay, you know exactly who’s responsible and whom to call.
Now that permit transparency dashboard is up and running, Virginia is already seeing some extraordinary results. The Department of Environmental Quality, for instance, has reduced its average processing times by 65%. And it’s been able to achieve that result by making a few simple changes. Knowing who’s working on what and how long it’s taking has allowed the department to implement management tools to ensure that everything remains on track. And it has also allowed the department to reallocate workload among offices based on the number of permit applications received.
With the wealth of data that Virginia Permit Transparency provides, Virginia agencies have now been able to turn their attention to other reforms that can further expedite permit processing. Late last year, Youngkin issued Executive Order 39, which tasks agencies with eliminating unnecessary permits, simplifying existing permits, moving permit applications online, and speeding up the permitting process. Virginia Permit Transparency makes it far easier for agencies to assess their progress and identify opportunities for improvement.
As the Trump administration decides how to implement its new initiative, it should consider launching a government-wide dashboard similar to Virginia’s. Though scattered federal agencies have adopted very limited permit-tracking tools in years past, none has come close to creating something as comprehensive as Virginia Permit Transparency.
A federal permitting dashboard would be a game changer for businesses that currently have to guess where their permits are in the process and whether they’ll ever be issued. And implementing a comprehensive system at the federal level would likely inspire other state and local governments to follow Virginia’s lead, building state or locality-specific platforms. In time, these efforts may lead to a nationwide dashboard that could serve as a one-stop shop for business owners who may need permits from local, state, and federal agencies.
Whether it’s the modern equivalent of the Hoover Dam or just a modest county road, America needs to rebuild and upgrade its infrastructure if it’s going to compete effectively in the 21st century. Virginia has become America’s top state for business by implementing reforms like the permit dashboard that make it far easier and faster for companies to navigate government requirements. Virginia is excited to now have a like-minded partner at the federal level and looks forward to collaborating on reforms that, in time, should help spread these pro-growth policies nationwide.
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