NEMWI Senior Fellow Arthur Rypinski on Monday addressed the participants on the weekly membership call for the American Manufacturing Communities Collaborative (AMCC), a partner organization of the Northeast-Midwest Institute, discussing off-shore wind energy initiatives and the policy direction of the Biden Administration.
Rypinski discussed his optimistic assessment of the prospects for off-shore wind energy, highlighting new developments that make significant advancements likely in the months and years ahead. He also cited areas where there are challenges, such as in developing the needed maritime resources for the installation of new off-shore infrastructure.
Arthur Rypinski has served as Senior Fellow for Energy Policy at NEMWI since spring 2021. He comes to his work on off-shore wind energy with decades of experience at the intersection of energy, transportation, environmental, and economic policy, including roles in the federal government spanning four Administrations. He served for 12 years as senior adviser in the Office of the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
A recording of the AMCC meeting and presentation is available HERE.
Senate Clears Major Procedural Hurdles
for Infrastructure Bill
The Senate moved forward with key procedural votes that will allow it to possibly pass a bipartisan infrastructure deal sometime early this week. The $1 trillion infrastructure proposal, which seeks to improve the country’s roads, bridges, pipes, ports, and Internet connections, was crafted by a bipartisan group of Senators. It provides $110 billion of new funds for roads, bridges, and major projects, and reauthorizes the surface transportation program for the next five years. It also includes $40 billion of new funding for bridge repair, replacement, and rehabilitation and around $16 billion for major projects that are too large or complex for traditional funding programs. It also includes $39 billion for mass-transit and $7.5 billion to build out a national network of EV chargers.
The bill includes $17 billion in port infrastructure and $25 billion for airports to address repair and maintenance backlogs and reduce congestion near ports and airports. The bill includes a large amount for passenger rail including $22 billion as grants to Amtrak, $24 billion as federal-state partnership grants for Northeast Corridor modernization, $12 billion for partnership grants for intercity rail service, including high-speed rail, $5 billion for rail improvement and safety grants, and $3 billion for grade crossing safety improvements.
Additionally, the bill includes roughly $55 billion in new investment for drinking water infrastructure. In addition to this package, Senate Democrats could also try to move a roughly $3.5 trillion economic package through the reconciliation process. The House passed a surface transportation bill earlier this summer.
Additionally, Senate Democrats released a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill today that proposes to expand Medicare, increase federal child care and education programs, increase funds to combat climate change, and other key Democratic priorities. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has stated that he would like the Senate to act on the reconciliation package before the Senate adjourns for its summer recess.
Bills to Address Coastal Erosion in the Great Lakes Introduced in House
Two pieces of legislation aimed at tackling coastal erosion in the Great Lakes were introduced in the House of Representatives before it adjourned for the August recess. Both bills were introduced by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), who serves as a Co-Chair of the Great Lakes Task Force, and co-sponsored by Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), who also is a Co-Chair of the Task Force.
The first bill, H.R. 4767, or the Creating Opportunities to Advance Shoreline Treatments (Coast) Act, would increase the authorized funding amount for the Emergency Stream Bank and Shoreline Protection Continuing Authority by $25,500,000 and expand the list of authorized uses of funds. The second bill, H.R. 4768, or the Detrimental Erosion Forcing Enhanced Needs to Defend (DEFEND) the Great Lakes Act would amend the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Continuing Authority Program to require the Corps to initiate not less than five projects to reduce the risk of loss and degradation of coastal wetlands along the shorelines of the Great Lakes due to shoreline erosion caused by high velocity waves and high-water events within two years of enactment.
Both bills have been referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
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This Week in Washington
No relevant hearings in the Senate or House this week.
