Hell’s Kitchen Project Selected as a FAST-41 Covered Project, Marking a Major Step Toward Domestic Critical Minerals and Reliable Power Security
Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) is proud to announce that its Hell’s Kitchen Critical Minerals and Power Project has been officially designated as a FAST-41 Covered Project by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (Permitting Council). This milestone underscores the project’s vital role in strengthening U.S. critical minerals and energy independence.
The FAST- 41 designation, granted under Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, ensures a transparent federal permitting process committed to supporting large-scale infrastructure projects of national importance. This designation elevates Hell’s Kitchen as a recognized strategic asset to the United States and signals strong backing from the White House and the National Energy Dominance Council.
“FAST-41 Coverage signifies a critical federal recognition of the Hell’s Kitchen Project,” said Rod Colwell, CEO of Controlled Thermal Resources. “To qualify, projects must meet rigorous criteria, and we are honored to be recognized as a priority development by the Trump Administration.”
The project’s inclusion on the FAST-41 permitting dashboard marks a major step forward for one of the most strategically important developments in the United States. Hell’s Kitchen will deliver two essential pillars of national security: domestically sourced critical minerals for defense and domestic manufacturing, and reliable 24/7 renewable baseload power to support the growing demands of hyperscale data centers and AI infrastructure.
The FAST-41 program highlights infrastructure vital to U.S. resilience, providing direct agency coordination, enforceable permitting timelines, and transparent oversight. This designation reflects the federal government’s commitment to restoring industrial capability, securing critical inputs, and accelerating high-impact clean energy development.
“I’m pleased to welcome the Hell’s Kitchen Critical Minerals and Power Project to FAST-41 coverage,” said Emily Domenech, Permitting Council Executive Director. “This innovative combined mining and processing effort is exactly the kind of next generation project the Permitting Council should enable. I look forward to working with industry and federal partners to unlock our country’s vast energy and mineral resources and reduce our reliance on China.”
The project’s designation triggers a statutorily mandated process, including 21 days for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to invite cooperating agencies and a 60-day window to develop a Coordinated Project Plan and permitting timetable.
Located in Imperial County, California - America’s second-largest producer of geothermal energy – the Hell’s Kitchen project will initially generate 50 megawatts of clean baseload power and 25,000 metric tons of lithium hydroxide monohydrate. Additional stages are expected to produce up to 500 megawatts of renewable power and 175,000 metric tons of lithium annually.
“CTR’s capacity to deliver essential resources needed to power America’s future cannot be overstated," Rod Colwell added. "We have an extraordinary resource and the proven technology to commence construction at scale. We applaud the federal government’s decisive and efficient actions to accelerate development, encourage private investment, and create thousands of good-paying American jobs.”
For more information, and to view the project status, visit the FAST-41 permitting dashboard: