Energy, Transportation, Water & Missouri News

ENERGY

U.S. Military Agency Seeks to Protect Grid

The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has announced plans to develop systems for the protection of critical infrastructure from cyber-attacks. You can find out more in this article or the DARPA Web site. If you’d like to find out more about the vulnerabilities of the U.S. electric grid, you may be interested in Lights Out by Ted Koppel.

TRANSPORTATION

Could You Pay to Name a Missouri Road?

A bill introduced into the Missouri House of Representatives, HB 728, would allow the state Highways and Transportation Commission to sell naming rights to roads and bridges. You can find more about the bill here.

Hyperloop Considers Missouri

Missouri is one of the semifinalists for consideration for the construction of a Hyperloop, a high-speed transportation system that could go from Kansas City to St. Louis in 23 minutes. The Missouri Department of Transportation conceives of it as part of a reconstructed Interstate 70 corridor—the segment of I-70 that crosses Missouri is considered the first completed portion of the interstate system. You can find more about this proposal, about which there remain many questions, here or here.

Missouri Bill: Move Over for Utility Vehicles

A bill recently passed in the Missouri House, HB 85, that would require drivers to pull over or slow down when driving by a utility vehicle that is flashing lights. A similar requirement exists for emergency response vehicles such as fire and police. The bill will move on to the Senate. You can find more here.

Missouri and Illinois Rivers Could be Part of Trump Infrastructure Plan

Though President Donald Trump’s proposed infrastructure plan is not final, locks and dams on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers could make the list. Seven locks, five on the Upper Mississippi River and two on the Illinois River, aid barge transportation to Chicago and Minneapolis. A proposal to improve the seven locks and undertake related stream and habitat restoration projects was taken up by Congress in 2007, but never received an appropriation. If the project is supported by the Trump administration, it is not certain that the president would support the environmental aspect of the program, which would likely undermine the support it has received from major environmental groups. You can read more about this here.

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WATER

Trump Order Could Roll Back Federal Regulation of Streams

President Trump issued an executive order that lead to rescinding the 2015 Clean Water Rule. It is not clear what rule may replace it, but some suspect it will limit or eliminate federal regulation of intermittent streams.

The 2015 rule, promulgated under the administration of President Barrack Obama, clarified federal jurisdiction over certain waters. Opponents sued claiming that the rule actually extended federal jurisdiction. A federal court ordered federal agencies to not implement while it considered the case.

You can find more about this issue here.

Energy, Transportation & Missouri News

ENERGY

Buyer of TVA Nuclear Plant Plans to Run It

We previously posted that the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) was auctioning an unfinished nuclear power plant near Hollywood, Alabama. The buyer, Nuclear Development LLC, announced its intention to complete the plant and put it into operation.

Before this can be done, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission must transfer the operating license from TVA to Nuclear Development. In addition, Nuclear Development must complete financing arrangements.

Nuclear Development bid $111 million for the plant. In addition to two nuclear reactors and supporting facilities, the property includes 1,600 acres of land.

Canada, Finland Plan to Phase Out Coal

Canadian officials announced plans to phase out coal-powered electric generation by 2030. They hope the country will be 90 percent powered by sustainable sources by that time.

Findland also proposes to phase out coal by 2030. The country plans to be carbon-neutral by 2050.

MISSOURI

Bill Would Make Sale of Municipal Utilities Easier

A bill filed in the Missouri General Assembly (HB 247), would lower the threshold of voter approval needed for a municipality to sell a utility. If passed, it would lower the requirement from a five-seventh majority to a simple majority. The Missouri House Local Government Committee has taken up the bill.

TRANSPORTATION

Bill Would Transfer Some Missouri Roads from State to Counties

Two bills in the Missouri Senate (SB 38 and SJR 3), propose pathway for the transfer of responsibility for certain road, letter routes, from the state to counties. About two-thirds of the current state funds for maintaining these roads will be distributed to counties, the remainder remaining with the state for other transportation needs.

County officials are opposed to the measure, saying it will shift much of the state’s burden for road maintenance to even more cash-strapped counties. These routes were maintained by counties until 1952, when the state took them over as part of a road improvement program.

A similar proposal failed to pass in the 2016 session. SJR 3 also includes a provision for raising fuel taxes. You can find out more about these bills here.

Noisy Electric Cars

New rules will require electric cars traveling slower than 19 miles per hour to produce a sound. This is to prevent accidents involving pedestrians who can’t hear the very quiet electric motors operating in these vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Administration anticipates this measure will prevent 2,400 injuries to pedestrians annually. New electric and hybrid cars must comply with the rule by September 2019.

Energy & Water Roundup

ENERGY

Consumer Group Opposes Missouri Energy Rate Reform Bill

The Midwest Energy Consumer Group (MECG) has come out in opposition of HB2689 (and its parallel in the Missouri Senate, SB1028), which would make significant changes to the way electric rates are regulated in the Missouri. The group claims that the bill would remove the voice of customers from the electric rate setting process and pave the way for regular, uncontested rate increases. The Office of Public Counsel, which officially represents customers in Missouri utility rate cases, expressed concern that the bill might limit the ability of the agency, as well as the state’s Public Service Commission, to review rate increases.

Related Posts

Bill Would Change Electric Ratemaking in Missouri

Senate Passes Energy Bill

The U.S. Senate passed its first major energy bill in a decade. The bill emphasizes development of alternative energy, natural gas, and lesser used sources such as geothermal and hydropower. It also focuses on energy efficiency and safety. The bill will need to be reconciled with the energy bill passed in the House of Representatives, which differs significantly, particularly in its approach to fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas). Senate leaders are confident they can work out differences with the House and develop a compromise bill that can pass both chambers latter this year.

What Is a Microgrid?

I’m seeing a lot about microgrids in utility publications and on the Internet. I thought it might be worthwhile to write something that could serve as an introduction to the subject for those who are unfamiliar with it, as well as educate myself in the process. I intend this to be the first in a series of short posts on the subject.

Let’s start with the basics. What is a microgrid?

A microgrid is a local energy grid that can disconnect from the larger grid and operate independently. It connects to the main grid at a location where the voltage of the two systems can be maintained at the same level. A switching system can manually or automatically switch the connection on or off.

Though the name “microgrid” implies something small, size is not a defining point. Microgrids are defined by

-local control, and

-functioning both connected to and disconnected from the main grid.

If you’re interested in finding out more about microgrids, here are some resources to get you started.

About microgrids (Berkeley Lab)

How microgrids work (Lantero, A., Energy.gov, June 17, 2014)

WATER

A Little Sewer History

The Guardian posted an article on the Great Stink of 1858 and how it prompted officials in London to improve the city’s overwhelmed system of handling storm water and wastewater. The Thames of that time was a stinking mess of sewage and a hazard to health. The sewer system devised by Joseph Bazalgette was a marvel of the age (and much of it is still in use) that moved wastewater discharges away from the populated areas around London.

You can read this very good article here. If it whets your appetite to find out more about this project, you may also want to read Dreams of Iron and Steel by Debora Cadbury. The Great Stink by Clare Clark is a fictional thriller set during this time that partly takes place in the changing sewers of London.

Infrastructure & Environment Review

ENERGY

Ameren Missouri Efficiency Program Ends

Unable to resolve differences with state regulators, Ameren Missouri has let its energy efficiency rebate program lapse. Staff of the Missouri Public Service Commission and the state’s Office of Public Counsel believed that Ameren customer overpaid the cost of the program, and opposed a three-year extension. A proposal from Kansas City Power & Light has been approved, and it might serve as a model for a compromise between the state and Ameren. You can read more about this issue here.

TRANSPORTATION

Bans on Texting While Driving Introduced in Missouri

Bills that would prohibit or greatly restrict texting while driving have been prefiled in the Missouri General Assembly session that started January 6: HB1542 and SB821. Currently, texting while driving is banned for drivers younger than 21 and for drivers of commercial vehicles. You can find more about these bills here.

Bill Would Add Missouri Highway Commissioners

HB1446 would increase the size of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission from six members to eight. Each of the seven Transportation Department districts would be represented by a commissioner, and an eighth commissioner would be appointed without regard to district residence.

Missouri Legislators Propose Fuel Tax Increase

Two proposals have been floated by Missouri state legislators. One would increase the tax on gasoline by 1.5 cents and diesel by 3.5 cents. Another would increase all fuel taxes by 2 cents. You can find more about these proposals here or here.

As an alternative to the fuel tax, SB645 would redirect 3 percent of automobile sales tax revenues from state general revenue to the road fund.

WATER

Flooded Wastewater Plants Release Sewage in St. Louis Area

Wastewater treatment plants operated by the Metropolitan Sewer District of St. Louis have released millions of gallons of sewage into rivers. The Grand Glaize and Fenton plants were inundated by the recent floods in Missouri. The two plants, which combined treat and average of 20 million gallons of wastewater per day, discharge into the Meramec River.

White House Announces Water Strategy

The White House announced a strategy to the sustainability of U.S. water supplies and systems. The cynic in me suspects that these strategies, programs, and actions were things that were mostly in the works anyway, but someone cobbled them together into a seemingly unified program (you can can get the details here). Even so, we need to take a serious look at our water resources, policies and practices. Good policy that addresses today’s water situation is needed, but sustainable water for our nation will come when we have a culture that values water for the many roles it plays in our environment, industry, health, recreation and almost every other aspect of human life.

All About Missouri This Week

Bill Prefiled to Ban Texting and Driving

Missouri State Senator David Pearce has prefiled a bill that would prohibit the use by all drivers of hand-held mobile phones to send, read or write text messages. Find out more here.

Gubernatorial Candidates Discuss Tranportation Funding (Just a Little)

So far, Missouri’s candidates for governor have provide few details about how the state will pay to maintain roads. Missouri is 7^th among the states in the size of its transportation system, but 47^th in state funding.

Candidate Catherine Hanaway suggested that the $200 million annually in state fuel tax revenues that is used to fund the Highway Patrol could be committed to transportation. The Highway Patrol would be funded from general revenue, though Hanaway’s plan does not provide specifics about how other general revenue-funded programs would be cut or how general revenue would be increased. You can find more about Hanaway’s proposal here.

The state General Assembly is also looking at the issue. A prefiled bill (HB 1381) would raise the state fuel tax from 17 cents to 19 cents per gallon.

First Woman Engineering Dean at University of Missouri

My alma mater, the University of Missouri College of Engineering, has named its 11^th dean, Elizabeth G. Loboa. She is the first woman to hold the position. Loboa has a background in biomedical engineer. Before coming to Mizzou, she held a joint appointment at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.

Highway Commissioner Appointed

Gov. Jay Nixon appointed Hannibal-area lawyer John Briscoe to serve on the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission. The appointment must be confirmed by the Senate.

Springfield Buying Wind Energy

City Utilities of Springfield announced it will be buying energy from a wind farm to be built north of Oklahoma City, OK. The wind farm is being built by Duke Energy Renewables and is designed to produce 200 megawatts.

In Congress

Continuing Resolution

Because Congress still has resolved budget debates and passed appropriations bills, it will need to pass another continuing resolution by March 27. The bill passed by the House of Representatives (H.R. 933) holds non-defense spending at the levels approved in Fiscal Year 2012.

One consequence of this is, at least for the time being, the increased spending on surface transportation programs included in MAP-21 will not be enacted. Senate leaders indicated that they might add transportation spending increases in that chamber.

Related posts and articles

Continuing Resolution Puts Transportation Funds at Risk (Save America’s Infrastructure, Mar. 11, 2013)

House, Senate Transportation Bills Differ

Budget proposals from the House of Representatives and the Senate differ greatly on transportation (as well as other issues). Mainly, the House budget cuts transportation funding, and the Senate budget increases it.

Related posts and articles

Proposed 2014 Transportation Budgets Differ Wildly. Who Will Win? (Infrastructure USA, Mar. 18, 2013)

Ryan budget targets DOT, high-speed rail funding (Liang, K., The Hill, Mar. 12, 2013)

Senate Questions Interior Secretary Nominee

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee posed questions to Sally Jewell, President Barack Obama’s nominee for Secretary of Interior. As you might expect, questions focused on energy development on federal lands and environmental protection related to such projects. Of particular concern was hydraulic fracturing (fracking) for natural gas production in western states and oil drilling in the Pacific Ocean and Alaska.

Related posts and articles

US Interior nominee Jewell resists some drilling proposals, calls for 'balance' (Platts, Mar. 15, 2013)

News Brief

Bill Would Limit Water Discharge Permitting of Pesticides

Rep. Bob Gibbs (OH) introduced the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2013 (H.R. 935). The bill would limit permitting of discharges to water of pesticides approved for use under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). The bill modifies provisions of that act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act.

Gina McCarthy Nominated for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator

President Barack Obama nominated Gina McCarthy for the post of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator. McCarthy currently heads EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation. She has already received the endorsement of Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee.

Around America

American Infrastructure Investment Fund Act

Senators Jay Rockefeller (WV) and Frank Lautenburg (NJ) have introduced the American Infrastructure Investment Fund Act. This would create a transportation infrastructure bank. Streets Blog has some more information on the proposal.

Bills Pile Up While the Bills Pile Up

The Highway Trust Fund Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 711) would eliminate federal prevailing wage requirements for federal-aid highway and public transportation projects. If this passes, expect it to have almost no effect on the cost of highway projects.

The Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2013 (S. 335) would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to make loans to entities for the improvement of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. Only large projects would be covered, with minimum loans for $20 million.

The Water Infrastructure Resiliency and Sustainability Act of 2013 (H.R. 765) would establish a grant program in EPA to assist water systems (broadly defined) with the protection of water resources.

Georgia Eyes Tennessee River

A bill in the Georgia state legislature could be the first step in the state’s effort to move it’s border with Tennessee to gain access to the Tennessee river. The border is in dispute because the line laid by surveyors is south of the border specified by Congress, though Georgia’s interest lays more in a desire for more water. You can read more about it in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Mississippi River Floods Caused $2.8 Billion in Damages in 2011

In 2012 and  2013, we’ve been following developments of drought impacts in the Mississippi River. Back in 2011, the news was flooding. ABC New reports that flooding caused $2.8 billion in damages in Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee

Sequestration

Do you have questions about the sequestration? A place to start may be the Q&A posted by the Congressional Budget Office.

Texas Rainy Day Fund May Pay for Water Resources Projects

We previously posted about a bill in the Texas Legislature that would provide $2 billion for the construction of projects in the state water plan, and how many mayors are supporting it. The Associated Press has a story on the subject, which you can read in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

In Congress

Balancing Act

The Balancing Act (H.R. 505) has been referred to several committees of the House of Representatives. The bill is intended to delay sequestrations, improve efficiency, reduce tax loopholes, and extend some programs. Some of the infrastructure related highlights of the bill include

-elimination of several tax breaks related to fossil fuels,

-immediate appropriations for air and surface transportation,

-create an infrastructure bank called the American Infrastructure Financing Authority,

-extending certain tax exemptions on bonds.

If Congress would like to put this blogger to work, it should end this ongoing threat of sequestration and agree on a budget.

Congressional Budget Office Releases 4Q2012 Recover Act Report

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report on the economic impact of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) for the last quarter of 2012. During that period, ARRA funded 113,000 full-time-equivalent jobs (FTEs), though this figure does not necessarily correlate to increased jobs in the economy. CBO estimates the economic impacts for the reporting quarter to be

-0.1 to 0.6 percent increase in gross domestic product (GDP),

-0.1 to 0.4 percentage point decrease in unemployment, and

-increased the number of people employed by between 0.1 million and 0.8 million.

Fix It First

President Barack Obama’s Fix-It-First proposal has received some fairly gentile criticism from House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster (PA). The plan would provide an additional appropriation of $50 million to transportation projects ($40 million to transportation programs and $10 million to capitalize an infrastructure bank). Rep. Shuster says the proposal fails to address the long-term issue of transportation funding. Current transportation funding sources bring in $35 billion annually, but Congress has approved spending of more than $50 billion annually. You can read more about this issue at The Hill.

Infrastructure & Environment Roudup

Drinking Water Supplies Threatened by Dry Weather

The Associated Press put together a nice, short summary the problem of shrinking water supplies.  You can read it at the NBC News site and see video of a related story.

Earthquake Preparedness: The Great Shakeout

February 7 will be the Great Central U.S. Shakeout.  If you’re a fellow Missourian, find more information at the Missouri Division of Geology.  If you live elsewhere in the central United States, check out the Shakeout Web site (participating states are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Tennessee).

Highway Trust Fund Out of Money by 2015

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released projections of funds available in the Highway Trust Fund.  They expect it to have insufficient funds to meet obligations by fiscal year 2015.

The Highway Trust Fund is the primary source of money for the federal-aid highway system.  Revenues to the fund come primarily from the federal gas tax.

You can see the CBO projections here→.

Related posts and articles

Highway Trust Fund Running Out of Money (Infrastructure Watch, Feb. 9, 2012)

Hydropower Bill Reported Out of Committee

The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013 (H.R. 267) was reported out of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  The bill would expand hydropower development.

Mississippi River Affected by Drought

We’ve been following stories about the effects of the prolonged drought on the Mississippi River.  Our posts have mostly related to barge traffic and the effort to keep the river open downstream of St. Louis.

NPR has posted an article about the effects at the mouth of the river.  One of the issues is salt water intrusion, which as the potential to change the water quality in that part of the river and has already reached the intake of one drinking water system in Louisiana.  Of course, barge traffic is an issue for New Orleans, too, because the port there is where goods move from river barges to ocean-going vessels.

Recently, barge traffic has been back up by an oil spill on the river, too.  Cleanup of the spill near Vicksburg, Mississippi, continues.

Related posts and articles

Mississippi River barge backup shrinks, oil cleanup continues (Plume, K., Reuters, Feb. 1, 2013)

Rock clearing on drought-hit Mississippi River nears completion (Plume, K., Reuters, Jan. 29, 2013)

Work to Keep Mississippi River Open Continues (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 29, 2013)

New Staff Leader Announced for Senate Environment & Public Works Committee

Sen. Barbara Boxer (CA), chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, announced that Jeremy Symons will join the committee staff as Deputy Staff Director. He will focus on environmental issues, including clean water, air quality, wildlife, and climate change.  Symons currently serves as the Senior Vice President for Conservation and Education at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). Previously, he was Executive Director of NWF's Climate Change Campaign, held positions in the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Air and Radiation, and served in Sen. Ron Wyden's (OR) office.

You can read the original news release here→.

Secretary Chu Leaving Energy

Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced he will be resigning his post.  Other officials who announced their resignation include Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson.

Related posts and articles

Outgoing Energy Secretary Warns Of Dangers Of Climate Change (Shogren, E., NPR, Feb. 1, 2013)

Infrastructure & Environment Bills Introduced in Missouri General Assembly

The Missouri General Assembly has  been at work in its new session for almost a week.  Here is a roudup of some of the bills that relate to infrastructure and the environment.

HB 44 - Allows hydropower produced in any quantity to be used to satisfy the renewable energy standard (Sponsor: Rep. Bart Korman)

HB 74 - Authorizes any city, town, or village to impose, upon voter approval, a fee for the repair or replacement of residential lateral sewer service line (Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger)

HB 75 - Prohibits specified increases in premiums or fees charged for sewer or wastewater treatment in St. Charles County without a vote of the people (Sponsor: Rep. Chuck Gatschenberger)

HB 83 - Authorizes an income tax credit for a taxpayer who uses processed biomass engineered fiber fuel (Sponsor: Rep. T. J. Berry)

HB 104 Solon, Sheila - Changes the laws regarding special assessments for neighborhood improvement districts (Sponsor: Rep. Sheila Solon)

HB 119 - Modifies provisions relating to the Net Metering and Easy Connection Act (Sponsor: Rep. T. J. Berry)

HB 135 - Authorizes any political subdivision to enter into design-build contracts for construction projects exceeding one million dollars (Sponsor: Rep. John Diehl)

SB 13 - Eliminates solid waste management districts and reduces landfill tipping fees by the amount previously used on district overhead and administration (Sponsor: Sen. Kurt Schaefer)

Revisit: Fiscal Cliff, More Trouble for Colo. R., EPA Leadership

Fiscal Cliff Deal & Wind Energy

I posted highlights from the fiscal cliff deal earlier this month.  The law extended several tax credits and program supporting energy, including wind energy.  Here are links to some additional information on wind energy in the fiscal cliff deal.

Infrastructure in the Fiscal Cliff Deal (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 3, 2013)

U.S. Wind Tax Credit Extended in “Fiscal Cliff” Compromise (Yale Environment 360, Jan. 2, 2013)

Wind Production Tax Credit Extended in Fiscal Cliff Deal (Seigel, R. P., Triple Pundit, Jan 3, 2012)

Senator Viewed Low Mississippi River

Reuter reported that Sen. Dick Durbin (IL) toured the Mississippi River near Thebes, IL, to view efforts to remove rocks and keep the drought-strained river open to barges.

IW has been following the impacts of the drought on the Mississippi River:

Barge Traffic Threatened on Missouri & Mississippi Rivers

Mississippi River

Southwest United States May Be Dryer in Future

Researchers from Columbia University predict a 10 percent decrease in rainfall in areas of the southwest United States.  This would lead to a corresponding reduction of flow in the already critical Colorado River, which may news recently because of the recent release of a federal plan for the river.  Find out a little more in this Los Angeles Times article by Bettina Boxall (here→).

Speculation on Next EPA Administrator

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced her plans to resign.  Speculation has begun on who may replace her.  I don’t know if odds-makers are taking bets.  Here are some links that may help you handicap the race.

Chris Gregoire: Lisa Jackson's Replacement at EPA? (Zellar, T., Huffington Post, Jan. 8, 2013)

E.P.A. Chief Set to Leave; Term Fell Shy of Early Hope (Broder, J. M., New York Times, Dec. 27, 2012)

EPA head Lisa P. Jackson to resign post (Eilperin, J., Washington Post, Dec. 27, 2012)

Gov. Chris Gregoire’s office says no word on EPA post (Schrader, J., News Tribune, Jan. 4, 2012)

Gregoire Emerges as Top Contender to Boss EPA (Connelly, J., Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 4, 2012)

New Congress Gets to Work (Sort of), Other Federal Government News (Infrastructure Watch, Jan. 7, 2012)

New Congress Gets to Work (Sort of), Other Federal Government News

A Look Back, 112 Congress Passed Transportation Bills

For all of its heel dragging, the 112^th Congress managed to pass some infrastructure-relate bills.  On the transportation front, it passed the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21^st Century Act (MAP-21).  MAP-21 was primarily and extension of highway programs through the end of September 2014 with authorization for small funding increases.

EPA Administrator Stepping Down

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson announced that she plans to leave the post early this year (read her statement→).  Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe is expected to lead the agency, possibly indefinitely.

House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair Promises Active Committee

Rep. Bill Shuster (PA), newly appointed chairman of the House T&I committee, committed himself to passing important legislation and assuring the committee is active in oversight.  Legislation priorities include reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act and surface transportation programs.  Oversight goals include implementation of reforms enacted in MAP-21.

Missouri Senator Calls for Decision of Levee Project

Sen. Claire McCaskill (MO) requested that the EPA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resolve their issues related to levee and drainage projects in southeast Missouri, particularly including the St. Johns Bayou levee.  These Corps of Engineer projects were halted because of concerns over fish and wildlife habitat.*

*As we have often disclosed, Infrastructure Watch is based in Missouri.

Infrastructure in the Fiscal Cliff Deal

President Obama signed a bill (H.R. 8) embodying an agreement to avoid the “fiscal cliff.”  In some ways, the bill is a punt.  The 113^th Congress and the president will be negotiating new deals again in a couple of months.  Rather than complain about the chronic procrastination and shortsighted partisanship that is prevalent in our capital (I supposed I just complained), I’ll summarize some of the infrastructure-related features of the bill.

ENERGY

The bill extends the tax credit for wind energy of 2.2 cents per kilowatt hour.  The extension is for 10 years and will cost $1.2 billion annually.

A more modest provision in terms of price, $1 million annually, will extend a subsidy of $2 per ton for coal produced on Indian lands.

Other provisions

•          Extend tax credits for home energy improvements and energy-efficient new homes and appliances,
•          Extend the tax credit related to what are now called second generation biofuels,
•         Extend credits for a variety of alternative energy generation in addition to wind,
•         Extend a number of programs that support biomass projects through tax credits and financial assistance,
•          Extend the tax credit on refueling properties for alternative fuel vehicles,
•          Extend credits for biodiesel.

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads will receive a one-year extension of the tax credit for maintenance.  The will be about $165 million of the year.

An expired increase in the tax credit for taking public transit that originated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is revived for 2013 and retroactively for 2012.

Electric scooters and bikes will be supported by an extension of the tax credit for “2- or 3-wheeled plug-in” electric vehicles.

Related posts and articles

From NASCAR to rum, the 10 weirdest parts of the ‘fiscal cliff’ bill (Plumer, B., Washington Post Wonkblog, Jan 2., 2013)

111th Congress Wrapping Up

Congress Wants Noisier Hybrids
Congress has passed the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2010 (S. 841). The bill requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue rules that would require hybrid and electric cars to create enough noise to alert blind pedestrians of their presence. The bill must be signed by the president to become law.

Bill Introduced to Extend Hours of Service Rules to Yardmaster Employees
Outgoing Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James Oberstar introduced the Railroad Hours of Service Act of 2010 (H.R. 6519). The act would extend hours of service rules for railroad employees to yardmaster employees.

House Votes to Reauthorize Transportation Program for One Year
Earlier this month, the House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution that would authorize continued spending on transportation programs at the current level through the end of the fiscal year. It will be up to the incoming Congress to work out a new transportation bill.

Related posts and articles
Bill Watch—111th Congress

In Congress

Bill Introduced to Create National Infrastructure Bank for Water

Sen. Jeff Merkle (OR) introduced the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2012 (S. 3626).  The bill would permit the Environmental Protection Agency to make loans or loan guarantees directly to certain entities for improvements to drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.  Presumably this program would not complete with existing state revolving fund (SRF) programs because it is aimed a large projects (minimum financing of $20 million).

This may seem like a boon to big cities, but considering that most of us live in urban areas that are served by large drinking water and wastewater utilities, it makes sense.  While they’re at it, Congress could increase funding to the SRFs and raise the allotment for private activity bonds, may be even targeting a portion of it for water improvements.

Senate Signals Interest in Tackling Energy Policy

Senators Ron Wyden (OR) and Lisa Murkowski (AK) indicated that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources  Committee will likely be looking at several pieces of legislation next year aimed at updating the nation’s energy policy.

Related posts and articles

Top Senate lawmakers see chance to revamp U.S. energy policy

Water Security Act of 2007 Introduced in Senate

Sen. James M. Inhofe (Oklahoma) has introduced the Water Security Act of 2007 (S.1968). This bill would make several grant programs available through the Environmental Protection Agency.

First, grants would be available to state, local and privately owned wastewater treatment works and community water systems to work on vulnerability assessments, security enhancements, emergency response plans, site security plans and mutual aid agreements. These grants could fund up to half of the project costs.

The bill also provides for technical assistance to small water and wastewater systems (serving populations less than 10,000) for vulnerability assessments, emergency response plans, site security plans and security enhancements. This might be done through a grant to one or more nonprofit organizations. Another grant may go to one or more nonprofits to refine the vulnerability assessment methodology.

Finally, the bill provides for training grants. The training is for water and wastewater systems to help them conduct vulnerability assessments, develop emergency response plans and identify security enhancements.