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.
State officials hope to get a large chunk of the more than $65 billion that is available to improve broadband access across the nation through the infrastructure bill that was approved last year.
The state’s plan to toll nine bridges across the state to help fund their replacement and maintenance has collapsed amid court rulings and negotiations between Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican lawmakers.
Unpaid gas and electric bills piled up during the coronavirus pandemic with nearly one in every six households and thousands of small businesses falling behind in payments. Now state officials are looking for a way to pay the money owed.
Elected and other officials gathered in Birmingham, Ala., to announce a new U.S. Department of Transportation pilot program aimed at addressing past infrastructure projects that have harmed and divided communities.
Starting next month, customers will notice extra charges on delivery orders, ride-sharing trips and car-share rentals, which are part of a change in transportation funding that will help pay for road and bridge projects.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program will provide $140 million to develop electric vehicle charging stations. About 40 percent of the federal funding will be invested in disadvantaged communities.
The New Orleans City Council voted unanimously on June 9 to hold two of Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s top aides in contempt for missing a deadline to turn over documents relating to the failed “smart city” broadband deal.
Several have earmarked fiscal year 2023 funding for various infrastructure projects, including a new fire station, a child-care center, hydrologic stations, improvements to rural roads and more.
The city approved $1.2 billion in bond money for street repairs, affordable housing developments, a new police station and other projects. But some officials wonder if increasing inflation will force the city to revise its plans.
The $8.5 billion tax increase would help fund county infrastructure projects for the next 40 years. But a regional planning agency claims it conflicts with a climate law, risking funding and progress on emissions reduction.
A proposed bill would institute a sales tax rebate for the purchase of new electric vehicles. However, it may also allow companies to charge customers for the costs of building charging stations.
The federal government has allotted millions of dollars to bridge the digital divide in Indigenous communities through infrastructure development and offsetting Internet costs to increase accessibility.
The program would create a network of tech-equipped homes to capture and store energy use and autonomously decide when to sell the power back to the grid to reduce carbon emissions and costs of living.
The amount the state receives will rely on how many people have poor or no Internet access. But time is short to accurately collect the information. The planning grant deadline is Aug. 15.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law gave the Department of Energy billions to invest in clean hydrogen hubs. There’s broad agreement hydrogen is needed for the energy transition, but not about how it should be produced and used.
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