Federal Sustainability Initiatives & Impacts on Georgia
Between the Federal Sustainability Executive Order signed by President Biden in December 2021 and the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in November 2021, there is a lot coming from the current federal administration in the way of sustainability.
The Executive Order directs the federal government to leverage its scale and procurement power in order to lead by example in tackling the climate crisis. The executive order will reduce emissions across federal operations, invest in American clean energy industries and manufacturing, and create clean, healthy, and resilient communities. The goals include transitioning federal infrastructure to zero-emission vehicles and energy efficient buildings, powered by carbon pollution-free electricity. These efforts are intended to create well-paying jobs, grow industries, and make the country more economically competitive.
Though the Executive Order addresses issues of national and international concern, it’s expected to have impacts on our state of Georgia. Marilyn Brown, a professor in the school of public policy at Georgia Tech, reported that it “signals a commitment to move away from fossil fuels and that in general has significant repercussions in Georgia. We will be seeing a move to more renewables in our power sector and an uptick of electric vehicles in our transportation sector.”
The Infrastructure Deal will invest in efforts to modernize our roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, airports, broadband, and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Federal agencies – from DOT to DOE to EPA – will administer new grants and oversee the funding of projects that fall within the scope of the Infrastructure Deal. States and localities – from transportation departments to water utilities – are responsible for identifying and executing needed projects on the ground.
Below are a few projects that have been identified for the state of Georgia so far:
- $6 million will go to improving sewer systems in Lakewood
- $92.5 million to keep Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta airport the world’s busiest and most efficient airport
- $1.7 billion to improve bridges in this state
- $1 billion nationally for the Reconnecting Neighborhoods Program, aimed at fixing damage caused by highways that were built in minority neighborhoods in the 20th century (for instance, Auburn Avenue)
Below are a few additional resources on this topic we recommend you check out:
Key Resources on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: An overview of where the money is going.
Understanding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: Use this resource to search for specific actions happening in the state of Georgia, and much more.
