Wyoming Teams Up with Trump Administration to Speed Up Energy and Industrial Permits
Wyoming and the federal government signed a memorandum to accelerate permitting for large energy, data center and other industrial projects.
Memorandum Signed to Cut Permitting Delays
Gov. Mark Gordon and Emily Domenech, executive director of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, announced on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at preventing “unnecessarily long reviews for critical infrastructure projects.”
The pact pledges to bring Wyoming into the administration’s broader effort to speed up environmental reviews and shorten public commenting periods for large‑scale projects such as energy facilities and data centers.
“I’m really excited because I think the relationship that we’re going to put together today will prove mutually beneficial, because it will help make sure that our environmental reviews [and] federal environmental reviews are done expeditiously,” Governor Gordon said at the press conference.
Why Speed Matters, According to State Leaders
Gordon noted that some energy projects in Wyoming have faced permitting reviews lasting “years—and more than a decade, in some cases,” which can erode a project’s economic viability as market conditions shift.
He warned that an eight‑year scoping phase “really slows things down” when “things can change as dramatically as they have.”
Federal Program Background
The Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council was created in President Barack Obama’s second term and is now tasked with implementing the Trump administration’s accelerated permitting agenda for energy, artificial‑intelligence computing centers and other large projects.
Domenech said the council’s work includes a permitting dashboard that will now display Wyoming’s agency actions on specific projects, adding transparency and predictability for developers.
“We can help to make the environmental permitting process more transparent, more predictable and more accessible to developers who are trying to develop the incredible natural resources and grow the economies of the states across the country,” she said.
Local Concerns Over Fast‑Tracked Reviews
Some federally expedited reviews in Wyoming have already generated controversy, such as the Seminoe pumped‑water storage hydroelectric project, which raised worries about impacts on a prized trout fishery downstream and a bighorn sheep herd.
These examples illustrate the tension between rapid approvals and environmental stewardship, a balance the new agreement aims to address.
Looking Ahead
Domenech framed the memorandum as a “cornerstone” of the president’s promise to governors: to help grow state economies, create jobs and attract industry.
Both officials expressed optimism that the partnership will streamline permitting while maintaining the transparency needed to address stakeholder concerns.
