The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation yesterday announced changes to the agency’s expedited permitting process, known as Certificate of Critical Economic Concern (CCEC). The changes are designed to make the program a more useful tool in the state’s effort to speed high-priority economic-development projects.

The expedited permitting program will assist state agencies in responding as efficiently as possible to permitting and review issues associated with economic-development priorities.

Effective immediately, projects eligible for CCEC designation must create at least 100 new full-time jobs, with an average wage at or above 105 percent of the average wage in Rhode Island. At least 50 percent of those jobs must meet or exceed 105 percent of that wage. Or, the project must create more than 50,000 square feet of new office, manufacturing or research and development space and have more then 50 percent of the total area dedicated to that space.

The rule changes have gone through the required public-review process and include removing the current fee requirement for program participation. The changes to the CCEC program were approved by the EDC board of directors on Monday.

“CCEC expedited review is an important step in improving our business climate and a mechanism for moving high-priority economic-development projects forward,” said EDC executive director Saul Kaplan. “These changes to the CCEC program will ensure that the program is fully aligned with our economic-development strategy to create new jobs and to increase the availability of office space throughout the state.”