On November 19, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed Executive Order 2024-04, creating the PA Permit Fast Track Program to streamline the Commonwealth’s permitting process for key economic development and infrastructure projects, increase transparency, and accelerate timelines to ensure state government delivers results quickly and efficiently.

PA Permit Fast Track builds on Gov. Shapiro’s record of improving the Commonwealth’s permitting processes, reducing wait times for businesses, workers, students, and the general public — making Pennsylvania more competitive by ensuring the Commonwealth is moving at the speed of business.

The Executive Order directs the Office of Transformation & Opportunity (OTO) to lead the PA Permit Fast Track Program (Fast Track).

OTO will be responsible for developing, managing, and coordinating permitting for complex and impactful economic development and infrastructure projects across government agencies and private partners in order to get project sponsors answers in a timely manner.

The office will also work closely with project sponsors and oversee updates to the Fast Track dashboard, a publicly accessible online tool designed to ensure accountability for both state agencies and project sponsors. You can view the dashboard here.

“When I became Governor, I promised to make state government work efficiently and effectively for Pennsylvanians, breaking down barriers and creating real opportunity for the good people of our Commonwealth. By streamlining permitting processes and focusing on results, we’re not just creating jobs and driving economic growth — we’re getting stuff done for the people of Pennsylvania and putting points on the board,” said Gov. Shapiro. “The PA Permit Fast Track Program is a game-changer that enhances coordination and communication between the project sponsor and state agencies to cut through red tape, streamline critical projects, and give businesses the confidence to invest and create jobs here in Pennsylvania. We’re proving that government can move at the speed of business and we’re building a stronger, more competitive Commonwealth where folks want to live, work, and build their future.”

“Governor Shapiro knows that to win the competition to attract and retain companies and jobs, we need a government that moves at the speed of business. That’s why he made responsive government a core goal of his economic development strategy,” said OTO’s Chief Transformation Officer Ben Kirshner. “The PA Permit Fast Track program is in line with the Governor’s vision and gives us a new tool to deliver coordination, accountability, and transparency for permitting big, complex projects here in the Commonwealth, increasing Pennsylvania’s competitiveness.”

You Can’t Blame DEP Anymore

“Special thanks to Secretary Shirley of the Department of Environmental Protection who joins us here today in the front row,” said Gov. Shapiro.. “DEP, reduced the permit backlog by 75%-- 75%. That is extraordinary.   [Read more here]

“Now, listen, I've been around a while here working in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Folks love to blame DEP for every issue they have when they're building a project.

“You can't blame Secretary Shirley anymore.

“She is moving at the speed of business and getting it done, and we are grateful to you for your commitment on that.

“I would also note that none of those three refunds that we had to issue through the Payback system came out of DEP's pockets.  [Read more here]

“They've issued every permit on time. So that's the first thing that we did in order to speed up our process.

“Second, I signed a new law this summer, a law that was brought about with Republican and Democratic votes to take the progress that we've seen at DEP and actually supercharge that and go even further.  [Read more here.]

“The law known as the SPEED [Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development] Program puts real resources into DEP to make permitting even faster, and even smoother than before,” said Gov. Shapiro.

How Fast Track Works

The Fast Track Program identifies key economic development projects and assists with permitting processes by organizing agency meetings, coordinating key parts of the project, and enhancing transparency and accountability through a public-facing online dashboard.

By leveraging interagency collaboration and streamlined processes, the program aims to:

-- Enhance Project Coordination: OTO will oversee the program, working closely with project sponsors to manage timelines, milestones, and agency cooperation.

-- Support Critical Projects: Eligible projects include key economic development and infrastructure projects aligned with the Governor’s Economic Development Strategy.

-- Create Transparency: Modeled after the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council’s FAST-41 Program, the dashboard tracks the progress of projects, permitting timelines, feedback from project sponsors, and provides accountability for both state agencies and project sponsors.

The Fast Track Program is designed to help project sponsors better understand and meet permitting requirements, reducing costly delays by coordinating meetings across state agencies and getting sponsors answers to their questions efficiently.

Every permit submitted through Fast Track is still subject to the same rigorous review as every other application across the Commonwealth.

This year, OTO piloted Fast Track with three key economic development projects. Gov. Shapiro signed the Executive Order while visiting one of those projects – the Bellwether District in Philadelphia, a 1,300-acre logistics and innovation campus on the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery site.

This transformative development includes substantial remediation work and is projected to create 19,000 direct permanent jobs.

“Transforming a site of this scale and creating thousands of new jobs requires business, government, labor, and institutions to work together — along with a little imagination and a lot of grit. I firmly believe that together, we will show that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we can innovate and accomplish big things,” said Roberto Perez, CEO, HRP Group, developer for the Bellwether District. 

Two additional projects are underway: Project Hazelnut in Luzerne County — a 1,300-acre transformative technology campus featuring advanced infrastructure with server rooms, power distribution, cooling systems, and network connectivity for maximum redundancy and scalability — and Martinsburg Community Digester in Blair County — located at Metzler Farm, the community-scale anaerobic digester will convert manure from over 10 local dairy farms into biogas for UGI’s pipeline.

"We proudly stand alongside Gov. Shapiro and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in advancing economic growth and opportunity,” said Brian Stahl, Vice President of Development, NorthPoint Development. “Today’s Executive Order strengthens the critical partnership between economic development projects and permitting agencies, fostering a streamlined, transparent, and effective process. This collaboration accelerates investments, creates meaningful jobs, generates vital tax revenue, and further strengthens the economy for all Pennsylvanians."

“The Fast Track Program provides businesses with the certainty and predictability they need to make strategic decisions and minimize potential risks,” said Chellie Cameron, President & CEO, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. “When business leaders can rely on accurate forecasting, they can confidently pursue opportunities that create jobs and drive greater economic growth for Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region.”

“Gov. Shapiro knows that to create jobs and put the men and women of the Philadelphia building trades to work, we must make Pennsylvania a place where businesses want to invest,” said Ryan Boyer, Business Manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council. “Meaningful permitting reform is long overdue, and Governor Shapiro is making it a reality—building on his track record of moving government at the speed of business and supporting an economy that provides good, family-sustaining jobs here in the Philadelphia region and beyond.”

With the launch of Fast Track, Gov. Shapiro is furthering his commitment to making the Commonwealth a place where government works to create real opportunities — allowing Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.

Click Here for the complete announcement.  Click Here to watch a video.

Related Articles - Permitting:

-- DEP Reduces Permit Backlog By 75%, Completely Eliminates Backlog For Oil & Gas Permits; You Can’t Blame DEP Anymore For Project Delays  [PaEN]  

-- Guest Essay: Protecting Public Health Means Enforcing Environmental Regulations While Helping Businesses Thrive - By Jessica Shirley, Acting DEP Secretary [PaEN]

-- DCNR Speeds Up Endangered, Threatened Species Environmental Permit Review Times, ATV Permitting, Ginseng Certification  [PaEN]

Resource Links:

-- DEP Now Accepting Qualified Professional Bids As Part Of SPEED Permit Review Program  [PaEN]

-- DEP Launches Pilot Program In 10 Counties To Speed Up Processing Chapter 102 Erosion & Sedimentation Permits Starting May 1  [PaEN]

-- Governor’s Office Releases List Of DEP, Other Agency Permits Included In PAyback Permit Fee Refund Program And Review Deadlines  [PaEN]

-- Senate Republicans Pass Bill Authorizing An Authority To Take Over Permitting Large-Scale Energy Projects; Eliminating Public Comment; Waiving Any Regulation; Providing Immunity From Prosecution; Barbers Reviewing Permits?  [PaEN]

-- PA House Republicans Introduce Bill Creating An Energy Advocate With Power To Veto Any Action By Any State Agency That Harms Energy Reliability, Affordability.  [PaEN]

NewsClips:

-- PA Capital-Star: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permitting Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- WNEP: Gov. Shapiro Highlights PA Permit Fast Track Program In Luzerne County

-- NFIB: Small Businesses Applaud Gov. Shapiro’s PA Permit Fast Track Program

-- PA Independent Oil & Gas Assn.: Shapiro Signs Executive Order Aimed At Streamlining Permit Process For Infrastructure Projects

-- Post-Gazette Editorial: Shapiro’s New Permitting System Gives A Green Light To Economic Development

-- PA Sen. Joe Pittman: Senate Republicans Spearheading PA Permitting Reforms

[Posted: November 19, 2024]

11/25/2024