As of June 30, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) published an interim rule rescinding all NEPA regulations and published new NEPA guidance procedures for the DOE. [1] The updates to the Department’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), alter the permitting process to make it more efficient. The goal of the update is to coordinate an interagency effort to simplify NEPA compliance, lower construction costs, eliminate delays, and prioritize energy production and infrastructure development. The update follows Trump’s Executive Order 14154 “Unleashing American Energy,” and implements reforms enacted by Congress under the 2023 Builder Act. Key reforms include eliminating agency procedures, reducing the maximum Environmental Assessment, requiring the designation of a “lead agency,” implementing deadlines, increasing transparency, and more. The updated procedures also include a discussion of the recent Supreme Court decision in Seven County, which limits requirements for agencies to analyze upstream and downstream Greenhouse Gas (GHG) effects and curtails crucial climate change analysis.
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