This paper examines the legal frameworks governing permit procedures for energy production and critical raw materials (CRM) mining - such as lithium, cobalt, and gallium - essential for green technologies like electric vehicles and wind turbines. These permits are granted ex ante, based on a prospective assessment by courts or administrative authorities of the anticipated impacts of proposed projects. This forward-looking legal process is intended to balance industrial development with environmental protection and broader societal goals, such as climate change mitigation and sustainable land use. Thus, permit procedures not only regulate future activities but also influence how the law conceptualizes and addresses the future in the present. The author analyzes both public and private interests within historical and contemporary permit laws, focusing on their temporal (time-based) and spatial (location-based) dimensions. Through case studies, the paper explores how different visions of time are embedded in legal practice and how these affect the protection of public values.