Infrastructure policy of the Joe Biden administration

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In late January 2021, the Joe Biden administration stated it would aim for spending on the USA's infrastructure on the order of $2 trillion.^[1]

In April 2021, the administration rolled out an executive-branch proposed infrastructure blueprint—the American Jobs Plan—to expend some US$2 trillion of federal funding on a wide variety of US infrastructure.^[2] The proposed blueprint has been discussed and debated all year, and as of October 2021, is still awaiting Congressional passage, where it has become politically connected to other spending program legislation. Some major part of it is expected to make it into US law.

Background

President Biden presented his Build Back Better plan on his first speech to a joint session of Congress. The plan calls for massive spending on the nation's infrastructure on the order of more than $2 trillion. The plan involves infrastructure, clean energy, manufacturing, research and development, and training. The plan borrows from many of the features of a "Clean Cars for America" initiative co-sponsored in October 2019 by Sen. Chuck Schumer.^[1]

Key Biden proposals include:^[1]

• adding 500,000 electric vehicle chargers
• rebuilding conventional transportation infrastructure (roads, bridges, airports, rail, and public transportation)
• a carbon-neutral program to transition government vehicles to electric vehicles, along with the possible extension of consumer tax credits for purchasing electric vehicles. (Tesla and General Motors capped out the $7500 income tax credit for the first 200,000 EVs sold)
• light-rail networks and infrastructure for bicycles and pedestrians for the 300 largest U.S. cities
• set a target for a "carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035."

Energy

Electrical power grid

The electrical power grid would presumably receive some amount of the US$174 billion expected to by put forward by the administration for "electrification" as part of the Biden infrastructure plan being talked with Congress as of April 2021.^[3]

Keystone Pipeline

In his first day in office, Biden had rescinded the permit for the Keystone XL oil pipeline with an executive order and rejoined the United States into the Paris Agreement abandoned in the Trump administration. Phase 4 of the Keystone XL pipeline had been a massively funded infrastructure project that was planned to run from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska and link to pipelines to Texas and Illinois oil refineries. The cancellation of the project had sparked northern objections from provincial premiers as well as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, addressing his concerns in a call with Biden.^[4][5]

Renewable energy

Renewable energy would presumably receive some amount of the US$174 billion expected to be put forward by the administration for "electrification" as part of the Biden infrastructure plan being talked with Congress as of April 2021.^[3]

Transportation

The vast majority of passenger travel occurs by automobile for shorter distances, and airplane (or railroad, in some regions) for longer distances. In descending order, most cargoes travel by railroad, truck, pipeline, or boat; air shipping is typically used only for perishables and premium express shipments. Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions by the United States.^{[citation needed]}

Impact

Biden's infrastructure interests during his presidential campaign included proposals expanded public education, elderly healthcare, and paid family leave, in contrast with Trump's restrictive immigration policies, which were projected to dilute workforce size and productivity. An economic analysis from Moody's Analytics in September 2020 found Biden's infrastructure policy would create 2.7 million additional jobs^[6] and increase average American income by $4,800 during his first term, should particular policies become law, far exceeding Trump's infrastructure proposals, which would create 11.2 million new jobs and "minimal real income gain."^[7][8]

References

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