Deadly collapses of structures like Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge and an elevated section of Interstate 95 in Philadelphia are dramatic examples of American infrastructure failures. But millions more Americans are affected daily by dated and deteriorating structures across the country.
Americans make 178 million daily trips across structurally deficient bridges. Up to 10 million American households don't have safe drinking water. More than 30 million Americans live in areas that lack high-speed internet. Climate and extreme weather events have killed nearly 2,000 Americans and caused over $600 billion in damages in just the past five years.
On the whole, U.S. infrastructure is ill-equipped for the demands of modern-day life. In response, the federal government has been pumping money into making repairs and improvements across the country through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021; the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which funds the domestic production of semiconductors and promotes various activities at science agencies; and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Through these, the federal government has announced $582.8 billion in funding toward public infrastructure, semiconductor development, and clean energy across the nation and its territories.
But how do these investments shake out on a local level? Truck Parking Club used White House public investments data to analyze how states are spending federal infrastructure dollars in their communities. This data represents public projects announced as of July that are funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act. Projects spanning multiple states were not included in state analyses, but are reflected within national statistics.
Infrastructure encompasses all basic, necessary facilities and systems that service the country's residents. This takes many forms, including roads, power grids, water service, and wireless internet. Much of U.S. infrastructure is aging and overburdened, creating delays, demanding maintenance, and in some cases, posing safety risks.
The inherent issues with safety, security, and the economy led to bipartisan support for the landmark government investments of the 2020s. In all, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will invest $1.2 trillion in transportation and infrastructure; the Inflation Reduction Act will invest $369 billion in energy production, manufacturing, and reducing carbon emissions; and the CHIPS and Science Act will invest $52.7 billion to fund in-country semiconductor research, development, and manufacturing through 2027.
Several of the largest projects will give billions to technology corporations to build manufacturing facilities stateside, with an aim to create a domestic supply of semiconductor chips. These small devices are found in many everyday items including computers, smartphones, cars, medical equipment, appliances—nearly any electronic device imaginable. The Department of Commerce has struck deals with Intel, TSMC, Samsung, and Micron to construct and expand these facilities.
Another set of leading investments was the National Clean Investment Fund grants, which provided nearly $14 billion to three green financing institutions. One plans to establish a U.S. national green bank, which will help connect green lenders to fund projects in low-income communities. All three investments are intended to provide affordable loans and other financing for green projects, such as solar installations, homes built with clean technologies, and high-efficiency electrical upgrades.
More than $26 billion has been allocated for projects in "resilience," which refers to efforts to mitigate climate change and other threats. Examples of resilience projects include infrastructure to minimize or prevent damage from flooding or using funds to employ more wildland firefighters.
