FPISC Content
The Permitting Council Welcomes Angela Colamaria as new Director of Permitting Planning and Policy
WASHINGTON (June 7, 2024) — The Permitting Council (Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council) is pleased to welcome Angela Colamaria as its new Director of Permitting Planning and Policy. As part of the Permitting Council leadership team, Colamaria will work to improve the efficiency and accountability of environmental review and authorizations for infrastructure projects nationwide, as the agency works to fulfill its role in making once-in-a-generation infrastructure projects a reality.
Winnebago Tribe Broadband Connectivity Project is the Latest Project to Receive Permitting Assistance from the Permitting Council
WASHINGTON (May 31, 2024) – The Permitting Council (Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council) is pleased to announce the latest project to receive permitting assistance through the FAST-41 program, the Winnebago Tribe Broadband Connectivity Project. This $35 million project aims to bring critically needed broadband infrastructure to over 800 households, 46 businesses and 16 Tribal institutions in Winnebago, Nebraska.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces First of Its Kind State Permitting Collaboration with the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA) to Advance Grid Infrastructure Projects
WASHINGTON (May 30, 2024) – Today, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) announced an exciting new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the New Mexico Renewable Energy Transmission Authority (RETA). The MOU establishes a working relationship between the Permitting Council and RETA in order to provide federal permitting support to RETA-supported projects that also qualify for coverage under the Permitting Council’s FAST-41 program. This new, collaborative state-federal partnership will help bring the benefits of federal permitting assistance to New Mexico to bring consequential infrastructure projects to life.
Permitting Council Director of Tribal Affairs Takes on New Biden-Harris Administration Post at White House Council on Native American Affairs
WASHINGTON (May 21, 2024) – The Permitting Council (Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council) is pleased to announce that PoQueen Rivera, Director of Tribal Affairs, will serve as Executive Director of the White House Council on Native American Affairs (WHCNAA). In this role, Rivera will lead the WHCNAA’s collaborative inter-agency work to realize its mission of bringing prosperity and resilience to all Tribal nations. Rivera replaces Morgan Rodman as Executive Director of the WHCNAA who recently began serving as Senior Policy Advisor for Native American Affairs for the White House Domestic Policy Council.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces Historic Investments to Increase Tribal Engagement and Improve Infrastructure Permitting Reviews
WASHINGTON (May 7, 2024) – Today, the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council) announced its first Environmental Review Improvement Fund Tribal Assistance Program (ERIF-TAP) awards of over $1.3 million to the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community. The Permitting Council recently launched this financial assistance program in response to requests from Tribes for resources to help them meet increased permitting demand and to meaningfully engage in the environmental review process.
Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Investment in Innovative Technologies to Improve Efficiency of Federal Permitting for Critical Infrastructure As Part of Investing in America Agenda
WASHINGTON (April 29, 2024) – Today, the Permitting Council (Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council) is pleased to announce the allocation of over $30 million in funding to enhance permitting efficiency across the federal government as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. These funds will enable federal agencies to build and improve critical IT tools and invest in innovative technologies to advance the efficiency of federal permitting reviews and authorizations of infrastructure projects. These investments come at a critical time to enable agencies to meet the influx of applications resulting from once-in-a-generation investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act.