The Trump administration is leveraging the FAST‑41 federal permitting program, initially created under Obama, to accelerate domestic critical minerals projects and reduce China dependency.
At a Glance
- The FAST‑41 program, launched during the Obama era and expanded under Biden, is now streamlining mining permits (washingtonexaminer.com)
- Six mining projects—including Alaska’s Graphite One—have been added this year to FAST‑41 for expedited review (washingtonexaminer.com)
- Critical minerals like graphite, nickel, copper, and rare earths are essential for EVs, defense, and energy infrastructure (washingtonexaminer.com)
- U.S. imports 60% of critical minerals and 85% of its processing capacity comes from China, highlighting supply chain risks (washingtonexaminer.com)
- The program uses fixed deadlines and interagency coordination via a Permitting Council to reduce approval delays (washingtonexaminer.com)
Permitting Reform Targets Mineral Bottlenecks
The administration is applying FAST‑41—the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” permitting schedule—to critical mineral projects that face lengthy approval timelines. Previously focused on sectors like transport and energy, FAST‑41 now supports six mining endeavors, with Graphite One’s Alaska slate-graphite mine becoming the first to benefit (washingtonexaminer.com).
Permitting reform is structured around a 16-member Federal Permitting Council tracking project timelines and enforcing deadlines to promote transparency and predictability. Permitting Council head Emily Domenech emphasized the role of the program as a “sherpa” to guide developers to construction (washingtonexaminer.com).
Strategic Imperatives and China Counterplay
The strategic push comes amid concerns that China controls over 60% of the mining supply and 85% of processing—posing national security and economic risks for the U.S. (axios.com).
Critical minerals—graphite, nickel, copper, rare earths—are indispensable for electric vehicles, wind turbines, solar panels, energy storage, and military technologies (washingtonexaminer.com). With global competition intensifying, the administration seeks to erect a domestic resilience layer.
What Lies Ahead
- More mineral projects are likely to be added to FAST‑41’s transparency pipeline (washingtonexaminer.com).
- Success of the Alaska graphite project could establish a template for future supply chains.
- The approach is expected to influence permitting reforms under future administrations, with bipartisan pressure to reduce China reliance.
- Environmental and community advocates may push back, demanding safeguards during the accelerated process.
This initiative marks a significant pivot toward using infrastructure tools to fortify America’s critical minerals supply, reshaping domestic industrial capacity and national security.
