Infrastructure Update

Press Releases      

DOI Approves Fourth Major Offshore Wind Project 

August 22, 2023 | Source: DOI 

On Tuesday, DOI announced the approval of the Revolution Wind project. Located about 15 nautical miles southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, the project will have an estimated capacity of 704 megawatts of clean energy, capable of powering nearly 250,000 homes. The project is expected to create an estimated 1,200 local jobs during the construction phase. This is the Department’s fourth approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project, joining the Vineyard Wind project offshore Massachusetts, the South Fork Wind project offshore Rhode Island and New York, and the Ocean Wind 1 project offshore New Jersey.  

DOT Announces $8.8 Million in Grants to Accelerate Innovation in Highway Projects

August 22, 2023 | Source: FHWA 

On Tuesday, FHWA announced $8.8 million in grants for 10 projects in eight States and the District of Columbia to encourage the use of tools that can improve safety on bridges and in work zones. The AID Demonstration Program, with funding provided under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides incentive grants and other resources to offset the risk of implementing a transportation innovation. The incentive funding, distributed through a competitive discretionary grant process, accelerates the implementation and adoption of innovation in highway transportation and demonstrate state-of-the-art technologies.  

USDA Announces Nearly $700 Million to Connect People in Remote and Rural Areas to High-Speed Internet

August 21, 2023 | Source: USDA-RD 

On Monday, USDA announced nearly $700 million in grants and loans to connect thousands of rural residents, farmers and business owners in 22 states and the Marshall Islands to reliable, affordable high-speed internet through the ReConnect Program, funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This program is uniquely designed to fund the most difficult high-speed internet projects in the nation, which are the most rural, remote and unserved communities. The investments are part of the fourth funding round of the ReConnect Program. Many residents and businesses in rural areas would not have high-speed internet service without the ReConnect Program, as the program is a key part of the Administration’s Internet for All initiative to connect everyone in America to high-speed internet by 2030. 

DOE Announces $30 Million to Build Up Domestic Supply Chain for Critical Minerals 

August 21, 2023 | Source: DOE  

On Monday, DOE announced up to $30 million to help lower the costs of the onshore production of rare earths and other critical minerals and materials from domestic coal-based resources. The funding, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help meet the growing demand for critical minerals in the United States, while reducing our reliance on offshore supplies. Rare earths and other critical minerals are key to U.S. manufacturing of clean energy technologies—such as solar panels, wind turbines, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells—to advance President Biden’s historic climate agenda. Extracting these materials from coal, coal waste, and associated by-products also creates good-paying jobs in communities that have historically produced fuels and electric power from fossil energy resources.  

DOT Providing Hawaii $3 Million in ‘Quick Release’ Emergency Relief Funding for Traffic Management and Repairs to Infrastructure Damaged by Wildfires in Lahaina 

August 21, 2023 | Source: DOT 

On Monday, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced it is making $100 million available the Carbon Utilization Procurement Grants program to support states, local governments, and public utilities in purchasing products derived from converted carbon emissions. The program will help offset 50% of the costs to procure and use products developed through the conversion of captured carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions. The goal is to speed up adoption of advanced carbon management technologies, creating a market for environmentally sustainable alternatives in fuels, chemicals, and building products sourced from captured emissions from industrial and power generation facilities.