US to shorten approval process for fossil fuel projects to two weeks

US Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has issued an order to reduce the processing time for environmental permits for fossil energy and critical minerals to as little as two weeks, reports industry media Recharge News.

This comes just days after authorities demanded a halt to work on the development of Equinor’s Empire Wind offshore wind farm, citing a rushed approval.

According to Recharge News, the approval had taken 46 months in the case of Empire Wind.

The new processing rules are designed to ensure emergency approvals of critical energy projects in the US, according to the authorities, who are also turning their back on wind energy.

English edit by Daniel Frank Christensen