For years, the U.S. permitting process has been a bottleneck for infrastructure development. Projects ranging from data centers to highways often get caught in years-long environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). But a recent move by the White House is poised to change that, with technology at the heart of the solution.
In May, the Trump administration issued an executive order directing agencies to expedite environmental reviews for infrastructure and energy projects. NEPA Reform 2025 followed with a revised rulebook aimed at shortening timelines for environmental assessments and limiting the scope of review. Together, these reforms have fueled expectations of faster groundbreakings for industrial, logistics, broadband, and clean energy developments.
But faster isn’t necessarily clearer. For commercial real estate (CRE) professionals navigating complex site selection decisions, the acceleration in federal approvals has amplified existing risks downstream. Zoning, entitlement, and local permitting remain fragmented, often disconnected from federal processes. Site selection decisions are now happening under more pressure, with less margin for error.
“Federal timelines might be faster, but the real choke points are now local,” said Dianne Crocker, research director at LightBox. “CRE teams will be challenged to get sharper at spotting where city and state processes may break from the federal track.”
What Permitting Reform Speeds Up and What It Doesn’t
The NEPA Reform 2025 rulebook introduced several major changes to how federal agencies evaluate environmental impacts. Agencies are no longer required to assess cumulative impacts, the scope of review has narrowed, and environmental impact statements are now subject to a two-year deadline. These reforms are intended to reduce review timelines and simplify the federal permitting process.
On July 1, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a parallel overhaul of the Department of Transportation’s NEPA procedures. The changes are designed to accelerate environmental reviews for transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and utility corridors. According to the Department, the updates are expected to reduce compliance costs and shorten the time between planning and construction.
While these reforms focus on public-sector projects, the downstream effects matter for commercial development. Faster approvals for transportation improvements can influence site viability for logistics, industrial, and mixed-use developments that depend on mobility and access. Shorter federal review windows also reduce holding costs and allow developers to model timelines with more certainty. Moreover, a narrower legal definition of “environmental impact,” shaped in part by recent Supreme Court decisions, has reduced litigation risk and weakened some third-party opposition efforts.
These changes represent a meaningful shift in how projects are reviewed at the federal level. But they do not change the permitting systems that operate at the state or local level. Zoning conflicts, incomplete entitlements, and misaligned review cycles continue to delay commercial projects, regardless of how fast NEPA moves.
Permitting Reform Enters the Digital Phase
On May 30, the White House released the Permitting Technology Action Plan, a federal initiative designed to modernize how agencies manage environmental reviews under NEPA. The plan, led by the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), directs agencies to adopt standardized digital systems that can reduce duplication, shorten review timelines, and improve transparency across federal permitting workflows.
The effort includes mandates for data standardization, automated case tracking, and digital tools to manage interagency coordination and public comment. A new Permitting Innovation Center will oversee implementation, with agencies expected to begin adopting the new framework within a 90-day window.
“The goal of this data and technology standard is to improve efficiency, transparency and integrity in the NEPA and permitting processes by facilitating data interoperability and enhancing decision-making,” according to the CEQ’s Permitting Innovation Center website.
While the changes target federal operations, they have clear implications for commercial development. Developers who interact with federal permitting systems whether for energy, broadband, or infrastructure-aligned projects may benefit from faster and more transparent timelines. But the plan doesn’t address the complexity of state and local processes, where permitting data remains fragmented and delays often originate. The risk for developers is assuming that digital reform at the federal level guarantees a streamlined experience across jurisdictions.
As permitting speed increases, so does the cost of working with incomplete or disconnected information. Faster reviews will only translate into faster groundbreakings when developers have full visibility into both federal timelines and local constraints.
Where Visibility Falls Short
Many of the most critical permitting and site viability risks are not visible through federal review alone. Ownership data is often outdated or obscured by layered LLCs. Zoning overlays and infrastructure constraints may not be identified until late-stage diligence. Permitting records are stored across disconnected local systems, leaving developers reliant on static documents and siloed workflows.
“Ownership is still one of the biggest blind spots in site selection,” said Caroline Stoll, General Manager of Data and Analytics at LightBox. “A parcel may meet every other planning criterion, but if ownership isn’t verified early, the deal is already at risk. We’re seeing more teams prioritize ownership verification early alongside zoning and entitlement.”
In Connecticut, zoning officials in Shelton issued a cease-and-desist order against a developer who had begun grading and site work without final approval from the planning commission. The project was also complicated by unresolved issues related to a state-owned right-of-way. The delay, which could have been avoided with earlier entitlement coordination, has halted progress while compliance is sorted.
The 18-acre site at the corner of Bridgeport Avenue and Long Hill Cross Road in Shelton, CT where unauthorized site work led to a zoning cease-and-desist order.
These are the kinds of risks that today’s tighter timelines magnify. Faster approvals mean less time to course-correct once a project is in motion.
A Smarter Approach to Site Selection
Site selection has become a high-stakes exercise in timing and visibility. In response, developers and infrastructure planners are beginning to integrate permitting data solutions earlier in the process. Combining ownership records, zoning reports, location intelligence with zoning layers, and environmental data in a single system reduces the likelihood of missed red flags.
“The permitting timeline has changed, but the due diligence burden has not,” said Crocker. “Speed is only useful when it’s built on reliable, early-stage assumptions.”
Integrated data workflows allow teams to flag disqualifying factors sooner, whether it’s incomplete entitlements, misaligned zoning, or environmental risks that could trigger community opposition. As more projects depend on meeting aggressive capital deployment schedules, CRE teams are learning that speed and visibility are not tradeoffs. They are co-requirements.
Permitting Intelligence is Becoming Market Intelligence
Federal reforms are focused on accelerating the NEPA review timeline. What they have not resolved is the uncertainty developers face when data gaps remain at the local level. That uncertainty still dictates how capital flows into infrastructure and commercial real estate projects.
Developers are responding by shifting permitting strategy earlier in the process and tying it more closely to data strategy. “The real speed advantage will come from pre-emptively identifying issues early, before a site hits review,” said Crocker. “Those are the firms that will avoid costly delays in the review process.”
CRE teams that invest in earlier diligence, tighter data integration, and real-time permitting intelligence will be best positioned to move quickly and confidently as the new permitting environment takes hold.
