ERG’s Permit IMPROVE AI Solution Wins “Shark Tank” Competition at Environmental Council of the States Meeting
ERG is proud to announce that Permit IMPROVE, an AI-powered technical solution designed by our permitting and artificial intelligence (AI) experts, was named a winner at the “Shark Tank” competition at the Environmental Council of the States fall meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on September 3, 2025. The competition called for competitors to create innovative technology solutions to enhance permitting capabilities for states, which often face inadequate staffing and budgets and spend an inordinate amount of time writing permits that protect human health and the environment while keeping up with demand from permittees.
ERG permitting experts Dan Connally and Liz Gorman worked with ERG’s Digital Solutions team to harness the power of AI to create Permit IMPROVE, a solution for optimizing, validating, and expediting the permitting process.
Connally and Gorman’s presentation featured the character “Paige the Permitter” moving through the labyrinthian permitting process and the many obstacles that can come up along the way, costing staff hours of time and effort.
“Every regulator knows the permitting process can be more complicated than any video game,” said James Kenney, Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department and President of ECOS. “By using artificial intelligence, we can at least put it on easy mode. What Eastern Research Group pitched at ECOS’ Shark Tank event does exactly that, and I look forward to seeing where this project goes.”
As just one example of how this solution will help permitters, Gorman illustrated how Permit IMPROVE can help a permit writer identify the Lowest Achievable Emission Rate, or LAER, for major new and modified sources. For each emission unit, a LAER determination must reflect the most stringent limit in a State Implementation Plan or achieved in practice by a similar source, so the permit writing process can involve significant research into state air quality regulations and surveys of emission rates achieved by similar, existing sources. Permit writers can use Permit IMPROVE’s AI technology to make logical decisions—within minutes—about which state regulations and existing sources to consider when conducting a LAER analysis.
ERG is building out Permit IMPROVE, currently in beta form, to consist of individual components that will assist with each step of the permitting process, including application completeness review, data collection and compilation, establishment of environmental and technology-based limits, development of monitoring and reporting requirements, documentation of decisions, internal review by management, and responses to public comments. Since every permitting action and state requirement is unique, permit writers can customize the tool’s components to fit their needs. ERG is testing prototypes for air quality and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting and plans to expand Permit IMPROVE to other environmental media in the future.
“This win reflects ERG’s strategic commitment to harnessing the power of AI and digital innovation to transform environmental permitting,” said Linda Diamond, ERG Vice President. “Our AI and Digital Solutions practice is focused on developing scalable, expert-informed tools that empower regulators to navigate complex regulatory landscapes with greater efficiency and accuracy. Permit IMPROVE exemplifies how we integrate deep domain expertise with cutting-edge AI technologies to deliver practical, adaptable solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients.”
“It’s been exciting thinking through the application of this technology from the perspective of a permit writer, and how it could be developed to best support our state partners,” said Dan Connally, an ERG Vice President. “Once fully developed, Permit IMPROVE will significantly increase permit throughput for states, decrease permit issuance time frames, and increase permit consistency and quality.”
“We believe AI should be brought into the permitting process responsibly. The goal isn’t to replace permit writers, but to give them better tools and support,” said ERG Environmental Engineer Liz Gorman. “Any new technology has to be shaped with the expertise of permitting professionals, and that’s where our experience helps ensure solutions that actually work.”
Interested in learning more about Permit IMPROVE? Please contact Dan Connally at dan.connally@erg.com or Liz Gorman at elizabeth.gorman@erg.com.