From EV Chargers to High-Speed Internet: Impact of Infrastructure Bill Will Extend for Decades
Since President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, federal funding announcements have totaled nearly $500 billion, facilitating over 57,500 projects across the nation. However, the true extent of the law’s impact is only beginning to emerge.
According to Scripps News, the law, backed by 32 Republicans and nearly every Democrat in Congress, tackles a wide range of issues. Some funds are focused on replacing lead pipes to ensure families and communities have safe drinking water. Multiple projects are working to expand access to reliable broadband internet in areas like rural Georgia and even downtown Chicago. Then there’s money to expand the nation’s network of electric vehicle chargers — more than $7 billion for that alone.
During an interview with Scripps News, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg explained how the Biden administration is deciding where to install new charging stations.
“There are areas where it’s just not profitable, at least not yet, for the companies to put them in,” Buttigieg said. “That’s where we’re working with the states to make sure that whether we’re talking about apartment buildings in cities or whether we’re talking about those long stretches of road, that you know there’s going to be a charger when you need it.”
