The White House on Tuesday restored three core elements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that had been rolled back under the Trump administration, heralding tighter environmental scrutiny for energy projects during the federal review process.

“The specific changes made by today’s ‘Phase 1’ rule restore longstanding provisions that were modified for the first time in 2020; these 2020 changes caused implementation challenges for agencies and sowed confusion among the general public,” officials said.

Enacted in 1969, NEPA is a cornerstone of the federal permitting process for a wide range of activities. It applies to upstream oil and gas development, as well as the construction of fossil and renewable energy infrastructure, roads, bridges and transit...