New Pennsylvania program aims to fast track permitting process for big economic projects
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order establishing the first program of its kind in the nation to give critical projects a leg up during the permitting processes.
The governor calls the initiative a "game changer" for economic development in the Keystone State.
"We need to move quickly to get big projects built and to get Pennsylvanians on the job faster," Governor Shapiro said.
Building on his efforts to make Pennsylvania's permitting process quicker for businesses and workers, Shapiro signed an executive order to establish the PA Permit Fast Track program on Tuesday.
"Using Fast Track, we're going to speed up permitting for big complex economic development and infrastructure projects all across Pennsylvania," he said.
The Office of Transformation and Opportunity will develop, manage and coordinate permitting for major projects.
"They'll do all the groundwork necessary to help permitting processes run more smoothly by bringing the right folks together to share information and increase coordination and technology. They'll ensure projects are talking to the right people at the right agencies, from DEP to L&I to PennDOT and all the other agencies involved," Shapiro said.
To increase transparency, the public can see the timelines for projects on the Fast Track online dashboard.
Shapiro announced the initiative at the site of the Bellwether District in Philadelphia, where crews are revitalizing an old refinery. It's one of three projects that OTO piloted the Fast Track program with.
The hope is to make Pennsylvania more competitive.
"We talk to businesses all the time and they tell us the three reasons they choose to move to a state: one is money, two is people and three is permits. So, this gives us a real competitive advantage over other states, something no other state has," said Ben Kirshner, the state's chief transformation and opportunity officer.
The public policy group, Commonwealth Foundation, issued a statement in response to the new program. Elizabeth Stelle, its director of policy analysis, said in part, "Although Governor Shapiro's executive order is a step in the right direction, much more must be done to ease the regulatory burden on Pennsylvanians. The governor could help more Pennsylvanians if he pursued legislative regulatory reform. Instead of choosing some permits to 'fast track,' Shapiro should work to simplify all of Pennsylvania's 2,400 plus permits."
