U.S. Fast-Tracks Permitting for Critical Mineral Projects

In May 2025, the U.S. federal government took a decisive step to accelerate domestic production of critical minerals by expanding the FAST-41 permitting program, a process designed to streamline the federal review and authorization of large-scale infrastructure projects. Originally created under the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act and solidified by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the program is now being leveraged to support a strategic national push for mineral independence and energy security.

Under this new phase, ten additional mining projects have been added to the FAST-41 list, spanning a wide range of essential resources including copper, nickel, palladium, uranium, silver, and titanium dioxide. These projects represent a geographical and geological cross-section of the country—from the Resolution Copper Project in Arizona, developed by Rio Tinto and BHP, to the Roca Honda uranium initiative in New Mexico by Energy Fuels, and Chemours’ titanium operation in Georgia. Each is seen as crucial to reducing reliance on foreign imports, particularly from China, and reinforcing U.S. supply chains for clean energy, defense, and advanced manufacturing.

A key feature of the FAST-41 program is its emphasis on transparency and accountability. All project milestones and permitting timelines are made publicly available through the Federal Permitting Dashboard, enabling citizens, industry, and regulators to monitor progress in real-time. This public oversight mechanism ensures that agencies are held accountable to avoid undue delays, while also fostering more coordinated interagency collaboration.

Beyond administrative efficiency, the expansion of FAST-41 holds deep strategic significance. The U.S. government views critical mineral development not just as an economic priority but as a matter of national security. The secure and responsible extraction of these materials is fundamental to advancing domestic electric vehicle production, battery manufacturing, grid modernization, and other cornerstones of the energy transition.

While the move has been largely welcomed by industry stakeholders, environmental groups have urged caution, highlighting the need to ensure that expedited processes do not bypass meaningful environmental review or community consultation. As such, the administration continues to emphasize that FAST-41 is not about deregulation, but rather about smarter, more predictable regulation—striking a balance between environmental stewardship and strategic resource development.

In sum, the expansion of the FAST-41 program reflects a growing consensus in Washington: that the road to a cleaner, more resilient economy runs through the responsible, domestically anchored development of the minerals that power it.