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Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The state of America's infrastructure gets highest-ever marks, but key areas lacking
The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) on Tuesday released its latest report on the health of U.S. infrastructure, which received its highest-ever overall grade, though several key areas received relatively poor marks. ASCE's Report Card for America's Infrastructure, which is released every four years grading infrastructure using an A-to-F school report card format, gave U.S. infrastructure a C on an overall basis – an improvement from the C- grade it issued four years ago as about half of the 18 categories assessed saw incremental improvements. The C grade is the highest ever national infrastructure grade dating back to the inception of ASCE's Report Card in 1998. It noted that infrastructure investments approved as part of the bipartisan infrastructure law have helped contribute to that improvement, though ASCE warned that the investment gap between current infrastructure investment plans and what would be needed to get the nation's infrastructure in good working order has risen. The gap widened from $2.59 trillion four years ago to $3.7 trillion this year. "Every American household or business immediately feels the impact of just one inefficiency or failure in our built environment," said Darren Olson, 2025 report card chair at ASCE. "However, if we maintain investments, each American household can save $700 per year. Better infrastructure is an efficient investment of taxpayer dollars that results in a stronger economy and prioritizes American jobs, resilience and connectivity." Blackrock Inks $23B Deal For Panama Canal Ports According to ASCE's grade structure, grades in the B tier are considered "good, adequate for now," while the C tier is "mediocre, requires attention" and the D tier is considered "poor, at risk." Though none were awarded in this year's edition, A grades are "exceptional, fit for the future" – while F grades are "failing/critical, unfit for purpose." Read On The Fox Business App In the 2025 report, grades ranged from B to D and for the first time since 1998, no categories earned a D- grade. Of the 18 infrastructure categories graded, eight improved from the 2021 report while two received lower grades in this year's edition. Ports scored the highest with a B after improving from the previous report, while a B- grade was awarded to rail infrastructure – which represented a decline from four years ago. Hiring Expert Warns Trump's Immigration Plan Could Force 'Massive Shift' Within Critical Workforce Broadband and solid waste infrastructure each received a C+ grade; while bridges and hazardous waste received C grades. Drinking water, public parks and inland waterways all received C- grades. Of the categories with grades in the C range, hazardous waste, inland waterways and public parks saw improved grades compared with the 2021 report. ASCE gave D+ grades to aviation, dams, energy, levees, roads, schools and wastewater infrastructure. The grade for energy infrastructure declined from four years ago while the report found that dams, levees and roads merited improved grades in this year's report. Stormwater and transit infrastructure received a D grade, which in the case of transit represented an improvement from 2021. ASCE's report also assessed the funding gap between needs and funds provided for the 18 infrastructure categories over the 2024-2033 period based on deferred maintenance needs. The estimated funding gap across all infrastructure categories came to a cumulative $3.689 trillion over that period. Among the more troubled infrastructure categories that merited grades in the D range, wastewater and stormwater combined for the largest funding gap of $690 billion, followed closely by roads with a $684 billion gap. Energy infrastructure's $578 billion gap was the third largest of the D-tier categories, followed by schools ($429 billion), dams ($166 billion), transit ($152 billion), aviation ($113 billion) and levees ($91 billion). Among infrastructure categories in the B and C grade tiers, bridges had the largest funding gap at $373 billion, followed by drinking water at $309 billion. Most of the remaining infrastructure categories had funding gaps estimated at $44 billion or less. Broadband had no funding gap because its $61 billion need has been funded over the 2024-2033 period, according to ASCE's analysis. Energy Secretary Says Northeast Natural Gas Pipeline Project Could Start This Year To improve America's infrastructure grades ahead of its next report in four years, ASCE said that "continued – and in some cases, increased – investment is necessary despite recent resources slowing the growth of America's infrastructure gap." ASCE said that Congress should maintain investment levels under the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) when it expires next year and fully fund authorized programs during the appropriations process. The group urged federal, state and local governments to expand the use of public-private partnerships for appropriate projects and find ways to leverage additional financing tools. It also called for Congress to ensure the long-term solvency of the Highway Trust Fund, which is projected to be depleted in 2028, along with ensuring that State Revolving Funds for Clean Watersheds and Drinking Water don't experience revenue losses. ASCE added that project owners should consider life-cycle costs throughout the planning, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and decommissioning of projects to get the most value – while owners and operators of infrastructure need to generate the revenue needed to cover those costs. "Infrastructure owners and operators must charge rates reflecting the true cost of using, maintaining, and improving infrastructure. They will need to educate the public on the actual cost to deliver those services so they can understand set rates," ASCE article source: The state of America's infrastructure gets highest-ever marks, but key areas lacking
Miami Herald
26-03-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
US infrastructure improves, but cuts may imperil progress, report says
Increased federal spending in recent years has helped to improve U.S. ports, roads, parks, public transit and levees, according to a report released Tuesday by the American Society of Civil Engineers. But that progress could stagnate if those investments, some of which were put on hold after President Donald Trump took office in January, aren't sustained. Overall, the group gave the nation's infrastructure a C grade, a mediocre rating but the best the country has received since the group's first report card in 1998. Most infrastructure, including aviation, waterways and schools, earned a C or D grade; ports and rail did better. The group also projected a $3.7 trillion infrastructure funding shortfall over the next decade. 'The report card demonstrates the crucial need for the new administration and Congress to continue sustained investment in infrastructure,' Darren Olson, the chair of the society's committee on America's infrastructure, said on a call with reporters. 'Better infrastructure is an efficient investment of taxpayer dollars that results in a stronger economy and prioritizes American jobs.' The report, which is now released every four years, has long noted that the United States spends too little on infrastructure. But that started to change in 2021, the group said, thanks to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which authorized $1.2 trillion in funding under President Joe Biden. That investment is showing results, with grades having improved since the last report, in 2021, for nearly half the 18 categories that the group tracks. But in January, Trump froze much of the funding under that law and another aimed at addressing climate change, pending a review by his agencies. That halted a variety of programs, including those intended to help schools, farmers and small businesses. The engineering group expressed optimism that the federal spending would ultimately continue because it benefited most Americans and enjoyed bipartisan support. 'The investment levels that we saw under the last administration have really started to move the needle, and we're looking forward to advancing that conversation as we move into this administration,' said Kristina Swallow, a former president of the group. The nation's ports received the highest grade of any form of infrastructure, a B, indicating that they are generally safe, reliable and in good condition. Rail received a B-, a decline from its B in 2021. Bridges, broadband, drinking water systems, hazardous waste treatment, inland waterways, public parks and solid waste received grades of C+, C or C-, reserved for infrastructure that is in mediocre condition and needs attention. Dams, levees, roads, schools and infrastructure for aviation, energy, stormwater, transit and wastewater received grades of D+ or D, indicating that they are in poor condition. Some aviation infrastructure is widely considered outdated, and the Federal Aviation Administration has faced a shortage of air traffic controllers for years. Energy was the only category besides rail that received a declining grade, to D+. The group said power plants and other sources of electricity had failed to keep up with rising demand from electric vehicles and artificial intelligence. 'Each data center uses the same amount of energy needed to power 80,000 homes,' said Otto Lynch, an engineer who led the energy chapter of the report. 'Our generation capacity has remained stagnant as new sources are merely replacing sources like coal that have been retired in recent years.' This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Copyright 2025
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. infrastructure receives ‘C' grade; engineers call for greater investment
CHARLOTTE, N.C. () — The American Society of Civil Engineers released its for America's Infrastructure on Tuesday, giving the country a 'C.' It's the highest grade the nation received since the organization began rating overall infrastructure performance in 1998. The grade rose from a 'C-' in 2021. ASCE officials said an increase in federal funding for infrastructure needs brought points up in several categories; however, aging systems in need of repairs kept the overall score in a mid-level tier. Experts factor 18 categories of criteria into their report. Chair of the 2025 Report Card, Darren Olson, said the data collection process is intensive. CATS leaders set to wrap up public meetings in the west corridor 'It takes us almost two years to get through this process, and we mined data from all available sources, whether it's primarily government sources, nationwide data, or institutional data.' Letter grades in eight of the 18 categories improved from 2021 to 2025, including dams, hazardous waste, public parks, roads and transit. Two categories, energy and rail, received lower grades than the prior report card. Olson said he's optimistic about the trends he sees. 'If we continue this trajectory that we're on with increased funding for our infrastructure, we can see the grade start to improve, which then really leads to a more efficient economy and saving every family money,' he said. 'That's money back in their pocket that they're not spending when the infrastructure around them fails.' Olson claimed families spend on average $2,700 per year on expenses like car repairs needed from traveling on subpar roads or perishable groceries that must be replaced after a power outage. One of the key points outlined in the 2025 Report Card is that 'aging infrastructure systems are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters and extreme weather events, creating unexpected and often avoidable risks to public safety and the economy.' Olson said rebuilding efforts in Western North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene will likely focus on resiliency and sustainability. He said the challenge for engineers involves designing projects to sustain forces of nature previously considered unlikely. 'What we saw when roads would overtop and culverts would wash out, all of the critical infrastructure in their water pipes, electrical pipes, they would all be lost to. And so, can we design our systems to be more resilient so maybe the roadway would still overtop, but it wouldn't fail so that once the storm has passed, that infrastructure would still be in a functional condition,' he said. ASCE leaders will meet with members of Congress on Tuesday to further discuss the findings and outline legislative priorities. 'The purpose of the report card is to bring infrastructure, which is out of sight and out of mind, into the focus so that we all can understand where we're at with our infrastructure prior to the next failure occurring,' Olson said. The report card estimates that if current planned infrastructure investments are to stay stagnant for the next ten years, there will be an approximately $3.7 trillion gap in available funding and money needed for repairs. The gap grew from $2.59 trillion four years ago. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Al Arabiya
25-03-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
US infrastructure improved with Biden-era spending but there's a long way to go
A once-every-four-years report card on the upkeep of America's infrastructure gave it a C grade on Tuesday, up slightly from previous reports, largely due to investments made during former President Joe Biden's administration. The report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which examined everything from roads and dams to drinking water and railroads, warns that federal funding must be sustained or increased to avoid further deterioration and escalating costs. 'We have seen the investments start to pay off, but we still have a lot of work to do out there,' said Darren Olson, chair of this year's report. He said decrepit infrastructure–from poor roads that damage cars to delayed flights to power outages that spoil groceries–hurts people and the economy. 'By investing in our infrastructure, we're making our economy more efficient, we're making it stronger (and) we're making ourselves globally more competitive,' he said. 'It's especially critical that infrastructure can handle more extreme weather due to climate change,' said Olson, noting hurricanes that devastated the East Coast and parts of Appalachia last year. The US saw 27 weather disasters last year that cost at least $1 billion, second-most since 1980. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $550 billion in new infrastructure investments but is set to expire in 2026. Another $30 billion came from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including for projects focused on clean energy and climate change, the engineering group said. President Donald Trump's administration has targeted some of Biden's green policies. Public parks improved to a C-minus from a D-plus, for example, thanks in part to significant investments over several years. Recently, however, the Trump administration moved to slash National Park Service staffing. In 2021, the US earned a C-minus overall. The investments made since then are just a fraction of the $9.1 trillion that the civil engineers group estimates is needed to bring all of the nation's current infrastructure into a state of good repair. Even if current federal infrastructure funding were maintained, there still would be a $3.7 trillion gap over a decade, according to the report. The bill to upgrade and maintain the nation's roughly 50,000 water utilities, for example, is $625 billion over the next two decades, according to the federal government. The grade for drinking water was C-minus, unchanged from four years ago. Many communities already struggling to maintain old, outdated drinking water systems also face new requirements to replace lead service lines and reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS. 'The infrastructure bill helped complete or start a lot of really important projects,' said Scott Berry, director of policy and governmental affairs at the US Water Alliance. 'But the gap has widened so much over the last couple of decades that a lot, lot more investment is going to be needed.' The bill also provided billions to help the US Army Corps of Engineers upgrade inland waterways, which move roughly $150 billion in commerce every year, improving the grade from a D-plus to a C-minus. Barges on the Mississippi River, for example, carry enormous amounts of coal, soybeans, corn, and other raw materials to international markets. But critical infrastructure like locks and dams–many built more than a half-century ago and requiring regular maintenance and repair–is often invisible to the public, making it easy to neglect, said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. And when big projects are funded, it too often comes in stages, he said. 'That forces projects to pause until more money is appropriated, driving up costs for materials and labor. If we really want to make the taxpayer dollars stretch further, you have got to be able to bring a greater degree of predictability and reliability in how you fund these projects,' he said. The report's focus on engineering and money misses the importance of adopting policies that could improve how people use and pay for infrastructure, according to Clifford Winston, a microeconomist in the Brookings Institution's economic studies program. 'You fail to make the most efficient use of what you have,' said Winston. For example, he noted that congestion pricing, like that recently adopted by New York City–charging people to drive in crowded areas–places the burden on frequent users and can pressure people to drive less, reducing the need for new bridges, tunnels, and repairs. Roads remain in chronically poor shape, receiving a D-plus compared to a D in the last report, despite $591 billion in investments since 2021. Two categories, rail and energy, received lower grades. Disasters like the derailment of a train carrying dangerous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023 lowered rail's previous B mark to a B-minus. The energy sector, stressed by surging demand from data centers and electric vehicles, got a D-plus, down from C-minus. Engineers say problems in many sectors have festered for so long that the nation must figure out how to address the shortcomings now or pay for them when systems fail. On Wednesday, a delegation of engineers will visit Washington to talk to lawmakers about the funding impacts and the importance of continuing that investment, said Olson, who said the needs are a bipartisan issue. 'When we talk about it in ways of how better infrastructure saves the American family money, how better infrastructure supports economic growth, we're really confident that … there is strong support,' he said.
The Hill
25-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
US infrastructure improved with Biden-era spending but there's a long way to go
A once-every-four-years report card on the upkeep of America's infrastructure gave it a 'C' grade on Tuesday, up slightly from previous reports, largely due to investments made during former President Joe Biden's administration. The report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, which examined everything from roads and dams to drinking water and railroads, warns that federal funding must be sustained or increased to avoid further deterioration and escalating costs. 'We have seen the investments start to pay off, but we still have a lot of work to do out there,' said Darren Olson, chair of this year's report. He said decrepit infrastructure – from poor roads that damage cars to delayed flights to power outages that spoil groceries — hurts people and the economy. 'By investing in our infrastructure, we're making our economy more efficient, we're making it stronger (and) we're making ourselves globally more competitive,' he said. It's especially critical that infrastructure can handle more extreme weather due to climate change, said Olson, noting hurricanes that devastated the East Coast and parts of Appalachia last year. The U.S. saw 27 weather disasters last year that cost at least $1 billion, second-most since 1980. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided $550 billion in new infrastructure investments, but is set to expire in 2026. Another $30 billion came from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, including for projects focused on clean energy and climate change, the engineering group said. President Donald Trump's administration has targeted some of Biden's green policies. Public parks improved to a C-minus from a D-plus, for example, thanks in part to significant investments over several years. Recently, however, the Trump administration moved to slash National Park Service staffing. In 2021, the U.S. earned a C-minus overall. The investments made since then are just a fraction of the $9.1 trillion that the civil engineers group estimates is needed to bring all of the nation's current infrastructure into a state of good repair. Even if current federal infrastructure funding were maintained, there still would be a $3.7 trillion gap over a decade, according to the report. The bill to upgrade and maintain the nation's roughly 50,000 water utilities, for example, is $625 billion over the next two decades, according to the federal government. The grade for drinking water was C-minus, unchanged from four years ago. Many communities already struggling to maintain old, outdated drinking water systems also face new requirements to replace lead service line s and reduce per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, collectively known as PFAS. The infrastructure bill helped complete or start 'a lot of really important projects,' said Scott Berry, director of policy and governmental affairs at the US Water Alliance. 'But the gap has widened so much over the last couple of decades that a lot, lot more investment is going to be needed.' The bill also provided billions to help the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers upgrade inland waterways, which move roughly $150 billion in commerce every year, improving the grade from a D-plus to a C-minus. Barges on the Mississippi River, for example, carry enormous amounts of coal, soybeans, corn and other raw materials to international markets. But critical infrastructure like locks and dams — many built more than a half-century ago and requiring regular maintenance and repair — is often invisible to the public, making it easy to neglect, said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. And when big projects are funded, it too often comes in stages, he said. That forces projects to pause until more money is appropriated, driving up costs for materials and labor. 'If we really want to make the taxpayer dollars stretch further, you have got to be able to bring a greater degree of predictability and reliability in how you fund these projects,' he said. The report's focus on engineering and money misses the importance of adopting policies that could improve how people use and pay for infrastructure, according to Clifford Winston, a microeconomist in the Brookings Institution's economic studies program. 'You fail to make the most efficient use of what you have,' said Winston. For example, he noted that congestion pricing like that recently adopted by New York City — charging people to drive in crowded areas — places the burden on frequent users and can pressure people to drive less, reducing the need for new bridges, tunnels and repairs. Roads remain in chronically poor shape, receiving a D-plus compared to a D in the last report, despite $591 billion in investments since 2021. Two categories, rail and energy, received lower grades. Disasters like the derailment of a train carrying dangerous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, in 2023 lowered rail's previous B mark to a B-minus. The energy sector, stressed by surging demand from data centers and electric vehicles, got a D-plus, down from C-minus. Engineers say problems in many sectors have festered for so long that the nation must figure out how to address the shortcomings now or pay for them when systems fail. On Wednesday, a delegation of engineers will visit Washington to talk to lawmakers about the funding impacts and 'the importance of continuing that investment,' said Olson, who said the needs are a bipartisan issue. 'When we talk about it in ways of how better infrastructure saves the American family money, how better infrastructure supports economic growth, we're really confident that … there is strong support,' he said. ___
