The state Department of Environmental Conservation announced last week the first major changes to environmental permitting rules in more than 20 years.

The changes, which will take affect on Jan. 1 next year, will help streamline permitting for green projects.

After several years of meetings and stakeholder outreach, the DEC has added numerous types of projects that would be not be subject to additional review under the State Environmental Quality Review regulations.

According to a press release from the DEC, projects such as solar arrays on closed landfills or reuse of an existing commercial or residential property would become Type II actions, which are subject to a lower standard of review.

The full set of rules will be available on the DEC’s website on July 18.