The Permitting Institute

What The Permitting Institute does

The Permitting Institute (TPI) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit, non-partisan association founded in 2021 to streamline U.S. infrastructure permitting processes. The organization builds a coalition of project developers, industry trade associations, corporate sponsors, government officials at all levels, Tribal Nations, NGOs, and community leaders, and operates as an advocacy and advisory body across federal, state, tribal, and local jurisdictions. TPI is led by three former senior officials of the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FPISC): President and CEO Alex Herrgott, Executive Vice President Karen Hanley (former FPISC acting executive director under President Biden and deputy associate director for NEPA at the White House Council on Environmental Quality), and Senior Vice President Ross Pilotte, giving the organization direct, bipartisan administrative experience spanning the Trump, Obama, and Biden administrations.

TPI's service portfolio includes project advocacy (tactical guidance and relationship development with Congress, policy champions, and permitting authorities), project planning and strategy (early identification of risks and opportunities), federal rulemaking input and analysis (formal comments on NEPA, Migratory Bird, and BLM rulemakings), and customized training workshops. The organization has built a proprietary tool suite comprising a GIS-based Screening Tool for site and permitting assessment, a Risk Assessment framework built on the GIS output, sector-specific Permitting Roadmaps for solar, wind, transmission, and other infrastructure, and a Next Generation Planning Tool for government-wide schedule management. Resource products include Federal Permitting Process Flowcharts for transmission and solar projects under FAST-41, and training modules covering strategic management, redundancy identification, conflict crosscheck, and agency accountability. Membership tiers (General Membership and the Project Build Program for founding/Board members) bundle access to tools, advocacy, and trade-association partnerships.

TPI operates a membership-based revenue model built on recurring dues with specific pricing not publicly disclosed; its go-to-market is direct membership sales targeting enterprise customers in infrastructure sectors. Marketing is conducted through Congressional testimony, federal rulemaking comments, industry conference participation, and earned media coverage in Politico, Bloomberg Law, E&E News, Wall Street Journal, National Journal, Utility Dive, and Engineering News-Record. Named members and partners include Arevia Power (Gemini Solar), Leeward Renewable Energy, the developers of the Alaska LNG, Cardinal Hickory Creek, and Borderlands Wind projects, the Port of Corpus Christi Authority, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, and the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association.

Name

The Permitting Institute

Legal name

The Permitting Institute

Website

https://permittinginstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Permitting Institute is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit founded in 2021 that provides advocacy, consulting, and proprietary permitting tools to streamline U.S. infrastructure project approvals across federal, state, tribal, and local jurisdictions for project developers, trade associations, and government entities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Infrastructure Permitting Consulting

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting Strategy, Applications & Agency Negotiation (EUAHAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stakeholder Engagement, Indigenous/Tribal Consultation & Social Impact (SIA) (EUAHAAAH), Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE), Facility Siting, Permitting & Land-Use Regulatory Compliance (Multi-media Permitting, Zoning/Entitlements Support) (EUAHABAH)

Keywords

• Infrastructure permitting
• Permitting consulting
• Regulatory advocacy
• Permitting reform services
• Infrastructure policy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: TPI operates as a membership-based association. The Permitting Institute builds a diverse membership committed to delivering infrastructure improvements. General members gain access to services, resources, and tools to assist project developers over the full project lifecycle, strategic consultation on best practices for limiting potential risks, and visibility through advocacy services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Permitting Institute (TPI) is a non-partisan membership-based association that provides advocacy, consulting, training, and proprietary tools to streamline infrastructure permitting processes across U.S. federal, state, tribal, and local agencies. It delivers project advocacy, planning and strategy, federal rulemaking analysis, and customized training to project developers, trade associations, Tribal Nations, and government entities, supported by proprietary tools including a GIS Screening Tool, sector-specific permitting roadmaps, and a government-wide schedule management tool.

Product overview

The Permitting Institute (TPI) is a non-partisan advocacy organization, not a technology product company. TPI offers a portfolio of consulting and advisory services focused on streamlining infrastructure permitting processes. The core service offerings include Project Advocacy (tactical guidance for project developers), Project Planning and Strategy, Federal Rulemaking Input and Analysis, and Training/Workshop Services. These services are supported by proprietary tools including a Geographic Information System (GIS) Screening Tool, Risk Assessment Tool, Sector-Specific Permitting Roadmaps, and a Next Generation Planning Tool for Government-wide Schedule Management. TPI also provides visual resource tools including Federal Permitting Process Flowcharts for Solar and Transmission projects. Membership tiers (General Membership and Project Build) provide access to these services along with strategic consultation, advocacy support, and sector-specific partnerships. The organization does not offer a software platform or technology product in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Project Advocacy
• Project Planning and Strategy
• Federal Rulemaking Input and Analysis
• Geographic Information System (GIS) Screening Tool
• Sector-Specific Permitting Roadmaps
• Next Generation Planning Tool for Government-wide Schedule Management
• Training and Workshop Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% average reduction in time to permit issuance (FPISC Year 2)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChip Kline, Chairman of Louisiana's CPRA, praised Karen Hanley's leadership at FPISC for prioritizing projects that mitigate impacts of extreme weather and climate change. CPRA worked with FPISC and TPI to streamline the federal review and permitting process for Louisiana's largest-ever coastal restoration project.
• Arevia PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRicardo Graf, Chief Development Officer of Arevia Power, praised Ross Pilotte's critical thinking and extensive understanding of policies for helping keep the Gemini Solar Project on schedule. TPI assisted in removing bureaucratic obstacles and reducing delays for this 690-megawatt solar project.
• Port of Corpus Christi AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSean Strawbridge, CEO of Port of Corpus Christi Authority, credited TPI's Ross Pilotte with helping materialize over $55 billion in public/private investment and nearly 10,000 new jobs over seven years in the South Texas Coastal Bend.
• Leeward Renewable EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaura Abram, Director of Legislative and Public Affairs for Leeward Renewable Energy, praised Karen Hanley's expertise and expressed confidence in TPI's ability to help bring renewable energy projects from concept to completion.
• National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTPI partnered with NSSGA to turn infrastructure promises into progress for America. NSSGA's work to produce and deliver materials that build America is critical to infrastructure revitalization efforts.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP USA: Global engineering consultancy with deep permitting, environmental, and infrastructure practices serving public and private clients on NEPA, EIS, and major project permitting — directly competing for the same developer-side permitting advisory work.
• ICF International: Major consulting firm with a sizable environmental and energy permitting practice serving federal agencies and project developers on EIS/EA work, NEPA compliance, and infrastructure advisory. A scaled incumbent competing for many of the same permitting advisory engagements TPI targets.
• AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin): Global engineering and project management firm with significant permitting, environmental, and infrastructure advisory practices supporting major energy and infrastructure developers. Comparable as a large incumbent delivering permitting consulting services.
• Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. National environmental law firm specializing in permitting, compliance, and litigation across federal and state agencies. Competes for the same project-developer clients needing permitting strategy and agency engagement.

Emerging players

• Environmental Defense Fund: Major environmental NGO that participates in federal permitting proceedings and rulemakings affecting infrastructure. Comparable as a stakeholder TPI explicitly engages with in its coalition model.
• Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC): Non-partisan environmental policy think tank explicitly cited in TPI's own materials as aligned on permitting reform. Comparable size and mission as a nimble, cross-administration policy shop focused on permitting and environmental outcomes.

Direct peers

• National Association of Manufacturers: Large industry trade association with active federal advocacy on infrastructure permitting, NEPA reform, and energy project siting. Comparable as a coalition-driven advocacy body serving infrastructure developer and supplier interests.
• American Clean Power Association: Trade association representing wind, solar, storage, and transmission developers, with active federal permitting reform advocacy in the same venues as TPI. Comparable as a sector-specific advocacy coalition seeking streamlined permitting.
• Bipartisan Policy Center: DC-based bipartisan policy organization that produces infrastructure and energy policy work and convenes cross-administration stakeholders. Closely comparable as a coalition-style DC advocacy/research outfit pursuing permitting and infrastructure reform.
• National Council for Public-Private Partnerships: Non-partisan membership association advocating for P3 delivery of infrastructure projects, including streamlined permitting and project delivery. Directly comparable as a DC-based coalition advocacy organization in the infrastructure permitting space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-permitting-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Permitting Institute