What ConstraintIQ does
ConstraintIQ delivers 72-hour Permitting Intelligence Briefs for energy and infrastructure projects. Each brief identifies the federal, state, and local permit triggers applicable to a specific project; maps environmental and regulatory constraints that could expand scope or extend schedule; forecasts timeline risk across optimistic, most-likely, and extended scenarios; and recommends a sequenced pathway with early actions your team can assign immediately.
The product is decision-support analysis. Not legal advice. Not NEPA documentation. Not permit application drafting. ConstraintIQ is the analysis your team uses before it commits to a permitting path, a schedule, or a budget.
Currently serving projects in Alaska. Hawaii and select Pacific Northwest states are queued for launch.
The problem we solve
Most project teams discover their permitting constraints too late. A coastal zone trigger surfaces after the schedule is locked. A tribal consultation requirement appears after the bid is submitted. An ESA species shows up after the site is selected. By then, the adjustment is expensive. Schedules slip. Contingencies grow. Proposals carry hidden risk.
ConstraintIQ fills the gap between "we need to understand the permitting landscape" and "we need a full NEPA consultant." We deliver a decision-ready brief in 72 hours. Flat fee pricing, confirmed at scoping.
Who's behind it
Virgil St. Aime founded ConstraintIQ after seeing the same problem from multiple sides of the permitting table. As an environmental analyst at a state Department of Transportation, he authored NEPA documents (Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, environmental impact analyses) and managed permitting strategy for transportation and resilience projects. In environmental consulting, he evaluated regulatory pathways for energy and infrastructure projects across multiple jurisdictions.
The consistent pattern: project teams needed permitting intelligence at the earliest decision stage, but the industry only offered full-service consulting engagements that cost tens of thousands of dollars and took weeks to deliver. ConstraintIQ was built to close that gap.
He holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and has completed graduate studies in Climate Science and Solutions. His analytical background spans NEPA (and SEPA) compliance, multi-agency coordination (DOE, USACE, ADEC, ADF&G, etc.), and permitting strategy for various projects. His work across state agencies, federal compliance, corporate consulting, and municipal planning gives ConstraintIQ a multi-jurisdictional perspective. ConstraintIQ can visualize a project the way every agency that touches it will.
How we think
Every ConstraintIQ brief is built around the same analytical principles. These aren't marketing claims. They're the operating rules that shape how the analysis is scoped, structured, and delivered.
Scenarios over predictions
Where regulatory outcomes are uncertain, we present bounded scenarios rather than false precision. Three timeline bands (optimistic, most-likely, extended) with the drivers that separate them.
Constraints over checklists
We don't hand you a list of permits that may or may not apply. We identify the constraints most likely to expand scope or compress schedule, and we explain why they matter for your specific project.
Sequence over inventory
Knowing that seven permits apply is less useful than knowing which one controls the critical path. We map the order of operations and flag where the strategy can flex.
Early actions over general advice
Every brief ends with concrete actions your team can assign: 0 to 30 days, 1 to 3 months, and pre-design gates. Specific, time-bound, attributable.
What this is and isn't
Clarity on scope helps both sides.
ConstraintIQ delivers:
- Project-specific permit trigger identification (federal, state, local, tribal)
- Environmental constraint analysis with schedule and scope implications
- Timeline forecasting across three scenario bands with ranked risk drivers
- Recommended permitting pathway with decision branch points
- Early action priorities your team can assign immediately
ConstraintIQ does not provide:
- Legal advice or regulatory opinions
- NEPA document preparation (CEs, EAs, EISs)
- Permit applications or agency filings
- Field surveys (biological, cultural, wetland delineation)
- Ongoing regulatory representation or agency negotiation
Ready to map your permitting path?
Submit a Fit Check with your project basics. We'll confirm fit, define scope, and tell you what the brief would cover.
Request a Fit Check →~ Understand before you commit.