The state Department of Environmental Protection announced that it reviewed and acted on more than 40,000 permit applications in 2025, eliminating a longstanding permit application backlog.  

DEP launched its Streamlining Permits for Economic Expansion and Development (SPEED) program in 2025, which was created by the 2024-2025 state budget package. DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley announced yesterday that DEP will launch a new Bureau of Permitting Coordination and add new permit types to the SPEED program.  

The new Bureau of Permitting Coordination will include two new divisions, the Major Projects Permitting Division and the SPEED Division. The Major Projects Permitting Division will review permit applications for large scale projects, including pipelines and electric transmission lines, that can cross multiple counties and DEP regions. The SPEED Division will focus on applications submitted through the SPEED program, which applies to certain permits including some Air Quality Plan Approvals (Chapter 127), earth disturbance (Chapter 102), dam safety (Chapter 105), and individual water obstruction and encroachment (Chapter 105) permits.  

DEP stated that the first SPEED permit application was approved in November 2025 for a housing development in York. DEP was able to review the permit in 51 days, which included the mandatory 30 calendar-day period for public comment, less than half of the time allotted for review of Chapter 102 Stormwater Management permits. 

PSATS is interested in township’s recent experiences with DEP’s permit process. If your township applied for a permit in 2025, how long did your permit process take? Will a new layer of government make permits faster? Send feedback to Katie Lizza, PSATS Deputy Director of Policy and Research, at klizza@psats.org.