Rural Co-ops Back NTIA’s Overhaul of Environmental Review Rules
NRECA praises alignment with new law and Supreme Court ruling.
WASHINGTON, August 8, 2025 – Changes to federal environmental permitting laws will make it easier for rural electric co-ops to build broadband and power infrastructure.
Representing nearly 900 not-for-profit electric cooperatives, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association applauded the Commerce Department for overhauling its National Environmental Policy Act procedures.
In a letter penned to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, NRECA argued the overhaul was increasingly critical as the nation’s electric grid faces growing resource adequacy challenges.
“Too often, electric cooperatives have experienced frustration and uncertainty from overly
inclusive and inefficient NEPA reviews delaying new electric generation, transmission, distribution and broadband projects, as well as routine activities such as vegetation management and resilience projects,” the association wrote.
“President Trump, Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court have provided clear direction to agencies to prioritize efficiency and certainty and end decades of excessive, endless litigation-driven NEPA reviews,” the association wrote.
The association said the changes, implemented by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, align with President Trump’s Unleashing American Energy executive order, the 2023 bipartisan amendments to NEPA, and the Supreme Court’s decision in Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County.
In Seven County, the high court narrowed the scope of environmental reviews, clarified that NEPA was a procedural safeguard rather than a mandate for specific outcomes, and directed courts to defer to agency judgment on the scope and content of environmental analyses.
Certain cooperative projects – such as those requiring federal permits, right-of-way authorizations, and other approvals – must navigate NEPA before construction can begin. Co-ops also rely on federal loans and grants for broadband deployment, making the permitting process a critical step in delivering high-speed internet to rural areas.
NRECA also praised NTIA for offering permitting resources and a mapping tool to help members pursue funding from the $42.45 billion Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program, saying the updates will speed deployment timelines and reduce costly delays.
Member discussion