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.
There are a number of steps that state and local leaders could take to narrow the funding gap by tens of billions, making the most of the money that is available to keep the faucets flowing.
A new survey found that only about 5 percent of Texans currently drive an electric vehicle and, of those who don’t currently own or lease an EV, about 60 percent said they probably wouldn’t consider one in the future either.
A quarter mile of the road on 14th Street in the city’s downtown area will have the capability to charge electric vehicles that are equipped for such technology. The development will cost $1.9 million.
Adie Tomer, a senior fellow at Brookings Metro, says implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is on track. But it will take years to understand its economic impact.
Once the legislative package gets signed into law, the state will have plans for at least 2,500 megawatts of energy storage and all state-regulated utilities will need to submit storage plans to the Public Service Commission by 2030.
The sale of electric utilities to corporate investors has brought more power outages and rate hikes. Local ownership has the potential for lower rates, better service and a quicker transition to renewable energy.
The City Council approved the creation of a supplemental zoning board of adjustment on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in hopes that the second board will help reduce the time developers have to wait for a hearing, thereby reducing costs.
The cancellation of two of the biggest offshore wind projects in the east highlights challenges in the fledgling industry and the obstacles to coastal states’ clean energy goals.
Over three-quarters, or more than 500 dorms, of state-run correctional housing units don’t have air conditioning, but proposed legislation would make it a requirement to provide some cool air to the units by July 1.
Voters backed the sale of Cincinnati Southern Railway, the only city-owned interstate railroad in the country. The city plans to put $1.6 billion from the sale into a trust fund for infrastructure maintenance.
The Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission is able to examine the conduct of officers and issue discipline, regardless of whether or not they are found at fault by their peers. The discipline can be anything from retraining to decertification.
Many states, including Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin, are spending millions of federal, state and private dollars to update outdoor recreation infrastructure to make it more accessible for people with disabilities.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California will put the funds toward increasing the Urban Community Drought Relief Program’s incentives to businesses and others to replace turf with water-efficient landscaping.
The state has completed all but one of eight bureaucratic requirements to award rural broadband construction contracts. Some experts expect nearly every household and business in the state to have an Internet connection by 2028.
A cybersecurity incident on Tuesday has made key parts, including real-time information, of the transportation department’s website inaccessible, causing major disruptions. While some services have been restored, maps and permits are still down.
This spring the city will begin implementing solar panels on city-owned sites, either on rooftops, as parking canopies or as shade structures in parks in community centers. Currently just 10 city buildings have solar panels to generate electricity.
Households in rural areas that earn less than $60,000 for a family of four can receive up to $75 per month for a broadband subsidy, but if those funds run out, many homes will be unable to afford continued Internet connection.
The $4.5 billion Sites Reservoir in Glenn and Colusa counties would be the state’s first major reservoir in nearly 50 years and would be able to hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water, which is enough to supply 3 million households annually.
The City Council is considering implementation of a pilot program that would reinvest metered parking fees back into a neighborhood for transportation-related improvements. The program would be tested in Roslindale Village.
Two county lawmakers have called for a 12-month moratorium on the construction and siting of battery energy storage systems, citing the fire risks of lithium-ion batteries. Battery energy storage systems have become a growing concern across the state.
The great dams of the early 20th century have outlasted their questionable usefulness, declining in their power output, providing unpredictable sources of water and doing massive environmental damage.
The state grid operator ERCOT had 18,364 megawatts of solar power capacity on its electric grid at the end of September, which is enough to power almost 3.7 million homes during peak demand periods.
A working group formed three months ago to create possible emergency shelter options for the city’s unhoused population during the days of the winter months. A storm rolled across Montana this week and the group still has no plans.
The state’s recycling rate was just 19 percent in 2019 and 21 percent currently, which is still far below the nation’s average at 34 percent. Michigan could reuse or compost 38 percent of its waste stream.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority’s station is still in the design phase, but city officials are hopeful that the multimodal transportation hub will help to revitalize the struggling downtown neighborhoods.
Emelle, a community in the state’s Black Belt, hosts one of the nation’s largest hazardous waste landfills that brings with it pronounced environmental, racial and health impacts. Here are six things to know.
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In all, 26 states are concerned about a proposed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rule that would push automakers from a fleet average of 44.2 miles per gallon for passenger vehicles to a 57.8 mpg average model by 2032.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $4.7 billion for plugging abandoned oil and gas wells, but new standards, a workforce shortage and less visible leaks may mean that the money will only make a small dent in fixing the problem.
The artificial intelligence will connect business owners and entrepreneurs with information from 2,000 city web pages. The launch is part of an effort to better incorporate new technology into everyday government.
The regional hubs will help replace fossil fuels and will also create more than $40 billion in private investment along with thousands of new jobs. Nearly every state has joined at least one proposed hub.
