WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration announced this week that it will create a fast-track approval process for energy and mining projects on federal lands. This new process will cut approval times from months or even years to just 28 days.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) said the move follows President Trump's declaration of a national energy emergency on his first day in office. The goal is to speed up energy permits to increase domestic energy supply, lower fuel prices, and improve national security.

The DOI said the fast-track rules will apply to fossil fuels like oil, gas, coal, and uranium and other energy sources such as geothermal, biofuels, and hydropower. However, solar and wind energy—both primary sources of clean power—were not included. President Trump has previously criticized wind power as expensive and unattractive.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the country can't afford to wait. He explained that reducing the lengthy approval process to 28 days would help strengthen U.S. energy independence.

Energy companies have long said that the current permit process is too slow and expensive. But it's not yet clear if these changes will actually boost U.S. oil production, which is already near record highs due to rising prices after sanctions on Russia.

The DOI said it will still follow key environmental laws, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act, but will find faster ways to comply.

Environmental groups are not happy. The Center for Biological Diversity said the new rules will mainly help fossil fuel companies while harming people's health, the environment, and the climate.

"These so-called emergency procedures are nothing but grease on the skids for corporate interests to speed approvals that will harm people's health, our public lands, and the climate," Randi Spivak, public lands director at CBD, said in a statement.