Infrastructure
It’s an ongoing, multitrillion-dollar challenge to build new and maintain existing infrastructure. This section will explore forward-looking approaches to funding, building and maintaining roads, highways, rail and broadband, as well as water and other utilities.
With up to 50 million residents projected by 2070, researchers say the state must invest as much as $154 billion in reuse systems, desalination and aquifer recharge to avoid future shortages.
Two years ago, state officials directed a total of $3.87B to close the digital divide and expand Internet access. But since then, the plans have been significantly reduced and lower-income neighborhoods have been left out.
Billions of federal dollars are coming to states to make broadband for all a reality, but funding alone doesn’t ensure results. Powerful resources are available to help state and local governments succeed.
Just a few months after the Starlink terminals began delivering connectivity, thousands of residents have signed up for the satellite-transferred service. While the connectivity isn’t perfect, the increased speed is life changing for many.
The Coachella Valley faced a particularly dire threat of flooding as it acts as a drainage basin for two 10,000-foot-plus mountain ranges and low-income farming communities, like Mecca and Thermal, sit at the valley’s low center.
If you live in rural America, your Internet access can still be hard to come by. States can change the situation.
The island’s Emergency Management Agency reported that the sirens are for tsunamis and are not a part of the agency’s standard wildfire response protocol. Instead, a variety of emergency notifications were used to alert residents of the danger.
Officials tout the state’s diverse portfolio of energy sources, including wind, solar, natural gas and nuclear, as a major factor behind its resilience. On Aug. 7, peak demand was at 84,029 megawatts.
The typical city’s home pays nearly $2,385 per month on household expenses like mortgage, rent, loans, utilities and insurance, ranking 331 out of 431 cities across the state with the most expensive household bills.
Hasan Ikhrata recently announced his resignation, ending five years of acrimony with local officials around transportation policy. Left unresolved is how the region will fund its highways and transit systems long term.
State officials are considering the development of hydrogen fueling stations across the state with a potential focus on a 23-mile stretch near Savannah. The cost of the proposed hydrogen fueling network is not yet known.
A training program operated by the National League of Cities helps small cities apply directly for federal infrastructure funding. Participating cities have won $428 million since last summer.
Managed charging, battery storage and other technologies will be key to helping utilities build electric grid resiliency and stability.
Georgia is just one of 19 states that have laws regarding the disconnect of customer power in summer months. No company in the state may shut off power in the extreme heat or when temperature falls below 32 degrees.
To avoid putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, some companies are using pipelines to inject the gas underground. But environmentalists and landowners are concerned about gaps in health and safety regulations.
The state ranks 46th in the nation when it comes to Internet access and 7 in 10 residents do not have access to affordable connectivity, which is defined as below $60 per month.
The Massachusetts governor signed an executive order to create a chief information technology accessibility officer to expand equity on the state’s websites and digital tools.
Since the earliest days of the Internet, much of the world’s data flows through Northern Virginia. But power limitations and environmental concerns could slow down the region's relentless pace of data center activity.
Heat diffusion into the ground creates high underground temperatures, which makes the ground swell, causing buildings to sink and crack, leading to tremendous upkeep and retrofitting costs.
The agency inadvertently started a wildfire last year that burned more than 60 square miles after a prescribed burn went wrong. It was the third prescribed burn that went awry last year.
City planning agencies and business improvement districts are increasingly relying on cellphone tracking data from groups like Placer.ai to understand how cities are changing.
The new facility has 26 360-kilowatt charging stations for electric freight trucks, making it the largest charging station of its kind for the port. However, to meet climate goals, the facility will need many more chargers by 2030.
Each year, 15 billion gallons of untreated sewage and rainwater flood the city's waterways during storms. The water department has been under order by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to clean up the system.
The $3.8 billion flood-control project recently had to activate many of its overflow pipes and a sluice gate to manage the quickly gaining waters. As storms become more severe due to climate change, they will continue to outmatch the region’s infrastructure.
A 7.2 magnitude earthquake off of the coast triggered a tsunami warning that created confusion, traffic jams and evacuations despite the alert later being canceled. Some worry the inefficient system could erode public trust.
Commissioners in Yancey County, in the western part of the state, considered withdrawing their library from the regional system after heated public debate about a Pride Month book display.
The Lafayette, La., police department has started piloting 100 e-citation machines, as replacement of paper ticketing, to reduce time and safety risks for officers issuing citations.
To decrease dispatch wait times, the city’s police board wants to implement an auto-attendant to sort calls for police, fire, EMS or non-emergency assistance. But Motorola says the implementation could stretch into next year.
Six of the state agency’s regional units, including the North Bay area, are testing new video technology that will utilize AI to speed response to fires and other natural disasters as they happen.
The provision went into effect on July 1 and prohibits those attempting to sell consumer goods and services by phone and text from calling numbers on the list. But there are several exceptions to the law.
A mineral exploration company hopes to discover lithium, a necessary component of rechargeable batteries, on a small patch of land in Nye County, Nev. But the operation could decimate a neighboring wildlife refuge with one miscalculation.
