# OpenAI Partners with Federal Lab to Speed Up Government Permitting with AI

OpenAI announced a new collaboration with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory aimed at accelerating the notoriously slow federal permitting process using artificial intelligence.

The partnership introduces DraftNEPABench, a benchmark tool that tests how AI coding agents can streamline the creation of environmental review documents required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Early results show AI could reduce drafting time for these documents by up to 15%.

NEPA reviews are required for major infrastructure projects like highways, pipelines, and renewable energy installations. These environmental assessments often take months or years to complete, creating significant delays for critical infrastructure development.

By automating portions of the drafting process, the AI tool could help federal agencies process permits faster while maintaining environmental protection standards. This matters because infrastructure bottlenecks have become a major obstacle to everything from clean energy deployment to transportation upgrades