Governor Spencer Cox signed Executive Order 2025-01 this week titled ‘Expanding and Improving Permitting Efficiency at Department of Environmental Quality and the Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining’. The order calls on the DEQ and DOGM to find ways to enhance streamlined permitting while maintaining environmental and health standards. Under the executive order, DEQ and DOGM will engage stakeholders, examine successful permitting frameworks from other states and assess opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce redundancies and enhance clarity in the permitting process. Governor Cox says, “It shouldn’t take years to get approval for a project that benefits our communities and strengthens our economy.” The order states that progress reports need to be submitted to the Governor by July 1st, 2025, with final reports by October 1st, 2025.
