The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — championed by U.S. Senator Tom Carper, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, and U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester and signed by President Biden in November 2021 — is a once-in-a-generation commitment to improving roads, bridges, transit, water and wastewater systems, broadband, energy and other infrastructure areas.
These infrastructure projects will take several years to plan and to build, but will improve the communities where Delawareans live and work for several decades.
Governor Carney set the following principles to guide the implementation of these infrastructure projects:
What once-in-a-generation ideas can we accomplish with these increased infrastructure investments?
How do we use this opportunity to promote equity and reach traditionally underserved communities?
How do we create jobs, not just in immediate projects but by strengthening our state’s economy into the future?
What can we do to address climate change, reducing our state’s environmental impact while coping with effects, like flooding, that are already occurring?
The law contains funding for 375 different programs in the federal government that then provide money or projects in states and communities. Many of them are existing programs with additional funding, many of them are new, some are allocated to states using a formula and some that will require grant applications to federal agencies.
How the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will affect Delaware:
- Significant additional money for existing federally funded programs – State highway, bridge and public transit programs; water and wastewater system loan and grant programs for cities, towns and communities; weatherization of low-income homes
- New programs where the state will receive funding for projects – Making broadband internet available to every Delaware home; creating an electrical vehicle charging network on main travel routes
- Competitive grants for Delaware entities or state agencies that manage infrastructure – Additional possible highway projects; airport terminals, Port of Wilmington work; ferries; road safety in towns and cities; colleges
- Projects by federal agencies within Delaware – Amtrak improvements to modernize Northeast Corridor; Army Corps of Engineer dredging and coastal projects
- Benefits directly to individuals and families – Reduced cost access plans from internet service providers for low-income residents
- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – One Year Anniversary
Resources
Additional Info
Full details on the programs within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are available from the White House at Build.gov
Municipalities
Governor Carney’s office developed a spreadsheet that reduces the federal program list to those programs that are likely of interest to Delaware municipalities.
