Federal Pact to Accelerate Major Infrastructure in Alaska
Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council Executive Director Emily Domenech and Governor Mike Dunleavy signed the memorandum of understanding on August 27, joined by members of the US House Natural Resources Committee and Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom.
Photo Credit: State of Alaska
Alaska is the first state to ink a memorandum of understanding with the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council to improve coordination and transparency during the permit process for major infrastructure projects.
Signing the agreement last week, Governor Mike Dunleavy said, “This agreement is another step toward unlocking Alaska’s full resource potential.”
Added Certainty and Shorter Timelines
The agreement pertains to projects eligible under Title 41 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act of 2015 (FAST-41). Projects listed as “in progress” on the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard administered by the council are the NANA Regional Broadband Network, the Alaska LNG pipeline, and the Graphite Creek mine. Graphite One, the company advancing the graphite development north of Nome, points out that it was the first of its kind to be listed on the dashboard.
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By entering into the agreement, the State of Alaska will work directly with the Permitting Council to identify projects that could benefit from FAST-41’s streamlined federal review process and predictable timelines. The Office of Project Management and Permitting within the Alaska Department of Natural Resources would coordinate directly with the Permitting Council to engage with project sponsors and share state regulatory expertise; in return, the council will coordinate federal reviews and track projects on its dashboard.
Emily Domenech, executive director of the Permitting Council, says, “Our team is ready to work with Governor Dunleavy to bring Alaska back into the energy spotlight.”
FAST-41 coverage applies to a broad range of infrastructure sectors, including renewable and conventional energy production, electricity transmission, energy storage, carbon capture, high-performance computing, machine learning, data storage, broadband telecommunications, cybersecurity, semiconductors, mining, pipelines, water resources, ports and harbors, aviation, and surface transportation.
Dunleavy adds, “Alaska is heavily reliant on cooperation with the federal government and its agencies. The FAST-41 process is critical to shorten timelines and add certainty.”
Graphite One announced its addition to the FAST-41 process for a coordinated project plan in June. “We are proud to be the first Alaskan mining project listed on the Federal Permitting Dashboard,” said Graphite One CEO Anthony Huston. “We believe that this emphasis on streamlining the permitting process will expedite our efforts to establish a vertically integrated domestic supply chain for graphite.”
The memorandum notes that it does not impose federal jurisdiction over any particular project, nor does FAST-41 coverage construe any state approval or disapproval.
A fiber optic segment in the Interior and an electricity transmission project between Kake and Petersburg were completed under FAST-41. The dashboard is also tracking exploration at the Red Dog mine and Hecla Greens Creek mine, but they are not formally FAST-41 projects.
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