Infrastructure is the foundation of Michigan’s modern economy and quality of life. When most people hear the term “infrastructure,” they often think of roads or bridges; however, these assets are just pieces of a larger, more complex picture that includes water and sewer systems, drains and stormwater systems, broadband and communication systems, and electricity and natural gas networks…Michigan’s infrastructure is aging, and maintenance has been deferred for decades, leaving us in a state of disrepair. Failing infrastructure interrupts daily life, slows commerce, jeopardizes public health, pollutes the environment, and damages quality of life.
View this complete post...Archive for the ‘Competitiveness’ Category
Michigan: 21st Century Infrastructure Commission Report
Tuesday, December 13th, 2016ACEC’S ENGINEERING INC. — Riding the Wave: Larger Cargo Ships Prompt U.S. Ports to Undergo Modernization Projects
Tuesday, December 6th, 2016AMERICAN COUNCIL OF ENGINEERING COMPANIES (ACEC) By Samuel Greengard When engineering and construction crews completed the massive Panama Canal modernization project in June 2016, it was a defining moment in global commerce. The $5.25 billion upgrade, which allowed new and significantly larger ships to pass through the series of new locks, represented nothing less than […]
View this complete post...Infrastructure Spending Trends
Friday, December 2nd, 2016This paper confronts perceived infrastructure failings with the data on public and private real infrastructure spending over recent decades. Interestingly, the data do not immediately point to a specific explanation for the poor perceived state of infrastructure. Accordingly, we turn to some possibilities that might explain the gap, such as changes in infrastructure needs and the quality of infrastructure spending.
View this complete post...As Large Public Projects Funded, Watch for Green Infrastructure Innovations
Thursday, December 1st, 2016Written by Mary Scott Nabers President and CEO, Strategic Partnerships Inc. After the November election, infrastructure reform is one of only a few topics that can be discussed with civility. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t conflicting opinions about how to fix the problems. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to infuse $1 trillion into infrastructure […]
View this complete post...Guest on The Infra Blog: Ed Mortimer, Executive Director of Transportation Infrastructure, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Thursday, November 3rd, 2016“I think it’s the first time in recent history that we’ve seen two presidential candidates talk about the infrastructure needs and willingness to address the infrastructure funding deficit…So we really feel like the public is starting to get more engaged, starting to understand that we do have infrastructure needs around the country and are willing to come to the table to have serious discussions to figure out how to solve these problems.”
View this complete post...Guest on The Infra Blog: Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO, American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
Wednesday, October 26th, 2016“We’re at a point now where, with more than $44 billion last year, aggregate investment in the U.S. in renewable energy is over $370 billion…In a lot of the developed world, renewables are the biggest single infrastructure investment that’s going on. You’re actually seeing more spent on renewables than on traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges, which is a pretty big surprise.”
View this complete post...Infrastructure for Growth: the Dawn of a New Multi-Trillion Dollar Asset Class
Monday, October 24th, 2016With interest rates close to zero, or in some cases negative in real terms, and the bazooka of QE already widely deployed, policymakers are running out of monetary levers to pull. This leaves us with the potential of fiscal stimulus, one aspect of which is infrastructure spending which can boost growth using both short-term demand effects, and longer-term supply effects, with the so-called multiplier effect implying that, if done correctly, the resulting GDP boost is larger than the initial investment.
View this complete post...ACEC Engineering Business Index – 3rd Quarter 2016
Wednesday, October 19th, 2016Firm leaders are optimistic that the engineering market will improve over the coming year. Market expectations for one year from today rose a hefty 6.2 points to 63.3, the largest quarter-over-quarter increase since the EBI’s inception. “Things are very good for our transportation infrastructure firm and we expect it to continue as awareness increases that we need to address it,” said one respondent. A member in Colorado said, “Market conditions improved in our area in the last three years and remain very strong.” One area of concern continues to be softness in the energy-producing states. “Wyoming’s economy is significantly down due to coal, oil, and natural gas sales declines,” said a respondent. “Nearly all infrastructure funding derives from state taxes on those industries, thus our outlook is less optimistic.”
View this complete post...A Roadmap for Financing Sustainable Infrastructure
Thursday, October 13th, 2016Investing in sustainable infrastructure is key to tackling the three central challenges facing the global community: reigniting growth, delivering on the Sustainable Development Goals, and reducing climate risk in line with the Paris Agreement…The Global Commission has identified a number of priority actions to rapidly shift investments toward sustainable infrastructure. A number of their previous recommendations are also relevant to this agenda.
View this complete post...The Cost of the World’s Biggest Infrastructure Projects
Tuesday, October 11th, 2016Railways, highways, bridges, dams, skyscrapers. When it comes to building infrastructure, China can do it fast. But at what cost?
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