A new executive order signed Tuesday by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro aims to streamline the state’s permitting process for key economic development and infrastructure projects and make the commonwealth more competitive.
“By streamlining permitting processes and focusing on results, we’re not just creating jobs and driving economic growth — we’re getting stuff done for the people of Pennsylvania and putting points on the board,” the governor said Nov. 19. “We’re proving that government can move at the speed of business and we’re building a stronger, more competitive commonwealth where folks want to live, work, and build their future.”
Executive Order 2024-04 creates the Pennsylvania (PA) Permit Fast Track Program, which Shapiro said will also increase transparency and accelerate timelines. The executive order directs the PA Office of Transformation and Opportunity (OTO) to lead the PA Permit Fast Track Program and to develop, manage, and coordinate permitting for economic development and infrastructure projects across government agencies and private partners.
“When I became governor, I promised to make state government work efficiently and effectively for Pennsylvanians, breaking down barriers and creating real opportunity for the good people of our commonwealth,” Shapiro said. “The PA Permit Fast Track Program is a game-changer that enhances coordination and communication between the project sponsor and state agencies to cut through red tape, streamline critical projects, and give businesses the confidence to invest and create jobs here in Pennsylvania.”
The OTO also will work closely with project sponsors and oversee updates to the Fast Track dashboard, a publicly accessible online tool designed to ensure accountability for both state agencies and project sponsors.
“Gov. Shapiro knows that to win the competition to attract and retain companies and jobs, we need a government that moves at the speed of business,” said OTO’s Chief Transformation Officer Ben Kirshner. “The PA Permit Fast Track program is in line with the governor’s vision and gives us a new tool to deliver coordination, accountability, and transparency for permitting big, complex projects here in the commonwealth, increasing Pennsylvania’s competitiveness.”
By leveraging interagency collaboration and streamlined processes, the program aims to enhance project coordination, support eligible projects, and create transparency. Every permit submitted through Fast Track is still subject to the same rigorous review as every other application across the commonwealth, according to Shapiro’s staff.
Earlier this year, OTO piloted Fast Track with three key economic development projects, and on Tuesday Shapiro signed the executive order while visiting one of those projects — the Bellwether District in Philadelphia.
The 1,300-acre logistics and innovation campus on the former Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery site includes substantial remediation work and is projected to create 19,000 direct permanent jobs.
“Transforming a site of this scale and creating thousands of new jobs requires business, government, labor, and institutions to work together — along with a little imagination and a lot of grit,” said Roberto Perez, CEO of the HRP Group, the developer of the Bellwether District. “I firmly believe that together, we will show that in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, we can innovate and accomplish big things.”
Two additional projects are underway: Project Hazelnut in Luzerne County — a 1,300-acre technology campus featuring advanced infrastructure with server rooms, power distribution, cooling systems, and network connectivity for maximum redundancy and scalability — and the Martinsburg Community Digester in Blair County, which will convert manure from over 10 local dairy farms into biogas for UGI’s pipeline.
“Today’s executive order strengthens the critical partnership between economic development projects and permitting agencies, fostering a streamlined, transparent, and effective process,” said Brian Stahl, vice president of development at NorthPoint Development. “This collaboration accelerates investments, creates meaningful jobs, generates vital tax revenue, and further strengthens the economy for all Pennsylvanians.”
Chellie Cameron, president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, also applauded the Fast Track Program, noting it provides businesses with the certainty and predictability they need to make strategic decisions and minimize potential risks.
“When business leaders can rely on accurate forecasting, they can confidently pursue opportunities that create jobs and drive greater economic growth for Pennsylvania and the Greater Philadelphia region,” said Cameron.
Likewise, Ryan Boyer, business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, said that to create jobs, Pennsylvania must be a place where businesses want to invest. “Meaningful permitting reform is long overdue and Gov. Shapiro is making it a reality,” Boyer said.
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), Pennsylvania’s leading small business advocacy organization, agreed, saying the commonwealth has lost business for years to other states due to its broken permitting system.
“This executive order is welcome recognition that the commonwealth can do better when dealing with the private sector,” said Greg Moreland, NFIB Pennsylvania State director. “When permits are stalled, the commonwealth and small businesses lose money. This is a welcome, innovative, change.”
Commonwealth Foundation Director of Policy Analysis Elizabeth Stelle said that while the executive order is a step in the right direction, more must be done to ease the regulatory burden on Pennsylvanians.
“The governor could help more Pennsylvanians if he pursued legislative regulatory reform,” said Stelle. “Instead of choosing some permits to fast track, Shapiro should work to simplify all of Pennsylvania’s 2,400 plus permits.”
For instance, the PA Senate in 2023 passed five bills to improve certainty and timeliness in regulatory processes, which all stalled in the PA House, she said, adding that during the next legislative session, Shapiro should work with both chambers to enact these “broad-based and meaningful reforms.”
“Every project, no matter the number of jobs it creates, deserves a transparent and efficient permitting process,” Stelle said. “It is too soon to know if Shapiro’s earlier efforts have truly helped Pennsylvanians, but it’s not too soon to make the process easier.”