If the FREE Act passes, it could speed up the permit process for key charging and grid infrastructure projects in the US. Automotive World By Stewart Burnett
February 26, 2025
US legislation intended to streamline the federal permitting process for mobility projects and along key freight corridors has recently been reintroduced in Congress on a bipartisan basis and is now being deliberated by the House Transportation Committee. If passed, the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement (FREE) Act would expedite new projects in areas like e-truck charging infrastructure and expanding the grid by switching to a permit-by-rule system.
Permit-by-rule systems allow certain projects to be quickly expedited if certain regulatory conditions are met, and place the burden on agencies to prove that a new project meets standards, instead of the applicants. “Unfortunately, executive agencies are often excruciatingly slow at granting permits, delaying critical projects that support rapid growth—especially in states like Utah where the majority of the land is federally controlled. The time is now to reform and streamline the permitting processes,” said Utah Representative Celeste Maloy, the bill’s lead sponsor in the chamber, in a statement.
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