NEPA by the Numbers

The report finds that 91% of energy-related federal actions are categorically excluded from higher-level NEPA reviews, with higher scrutiny typically reserved for larger-scale projects. It provides quantitative evidence that tiered reviews can reduce timelines compared to standard Environmental Impact Statements (EIS). The analysis identifies the Department of the Interior as the central hub for interagency coordination on decarbonization projects. Additionally, it notes a modest reduction in EIS page lengths following the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, while highlighting significant gaps in federal data management and metadata standardization.

• The vast majority of energy-related federal actions are subject to categorical exclusions (CEs), meaning they do not require more intensive Environmental Assessments (EAs) or Environmental Impact Statements (EISs). Specifically, 91% of the approximately 32,000 energy-related reviews in the dataset are CEs, a trend that persists for reviews led by the Department of Energy and the Bureau of Land Management.
• There is a correlation between project size and the level of NEPA scrutiny, particularly for solar energy. Larger solar projects with higher generation capacity are more likely to undergo more intensive reviews, while smaller-scale projects are more frequently categorically excluded.
• Tiered and programmatic reviews can reduce the time required for environmental reviews for decarbonization technologies, although they are currently underutilized, appearing in only about 12% of EAs and EISs. Data shows that tiered EISs have a shorter median duration (593 days) than standard EISs (1,087 days) or programmatic EISs (914 days).
• The Department of the Interior serves as the primary hub for interagency collaboration on decarbonization-related EISs, maintaining the highest 'bridge score' (64.2). Its most significant partnerships are with the Department of Defense (largely via the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) and the Department of Energy.
• The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) is associated with a modest reduction in the length of EIS documents, with the mean length decreasing from 317 to 269 pages and the median from 260 to 212 pages. However, compliance is inconsistent: 35% of post-FRA EISs still exceed 300 pages.
• Comprehensive analysis of NEPA is hindered by structural data limitations, including a lack of standardized reporting requirements and missing data from key agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and the Army Corps of Engineers.

APA

Zapatka, K., & Landau, K. (2026). NEPA by the Numbers. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/NEPA-insights.pdf

Chicago

Zapatka, Kasey, and Kelsey Landau. NEPA by the Numbers. Clean Air Task Force, 2026. https://www.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/NEPA-insights.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Zapatka |first1=Kasey |last2=Landau |first2=Kelsey |title=NEPA by the Numbers |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=September 2026 |url=https://www.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/NEPA-insights.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{zapatka2026nepa, author = {Zapatka, Kasey and Landau, Kelsey}, title = {{NEPA by the Numbers}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = sep, url = {https://www.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/NEPA-insights.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }