When people think about energy, they don’t often think of industrial heat. But that heat is critical for sustaining modern life. Without a lot of heat, this very article could not exist. Heat is responsible for all of the infrastructure and almost all electricity in the United States and the…
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has become one of the most trusted organizations in the wake of both national tragedies and lesser known transportation incidents. The fact-focused agency investigates transportation-related incidents to uncover root causes and offer recommendations to industry and policymakers to hopefully prevent future accidents from occurring….
The world beneath our feet is vibrant and complex. Although we cannot see it and often do not think about it, tens of millions of miles of pipelines, cables, and wires run across the country just underfoot. Every time a shovel or power tool makes contact with the dirt to…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Washington, D.C. (August 7, 2023) – The Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) published its latest report Monday, Evaluating Train Length: Mitigating the Costs and Enhancing the Benefits of Longer Trains. The report evaluates train length amidst a wide-ranging national debate over railroad safety and issues such…
This week, the Biden administration halted plans to purchase 6 million barrels of crude oil to begin replenishing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). With the reserve at an unprecedented low since the U.S. began stockpiling, this raises questions about how and when it might be refilled. Aii newsletter subscribers likely…
As temperatures rise and the summer power demand begins to take form, policy makers and industry leaders gathered in Columbia, South Carolina to discuss the state’s energy future. From economic competitiveness to new manufacturing, the need for new and resilient energy to meet current and future demand is essential. The…
Supply and demand govern almost all of the prices that consumers face in the market. But there are factors behind the scenes that artificially alter elements of supply or demand, changing the ultimate price that we see. This may be regulatory hurdles and permits, foreign wars and supply chain pressures,…
This is the third and final policy blog in the series investigating train length. The purpose is to survey the impacts and implications of longer trains to the U.S. economy, public safety, and the world. Because railroads are so central to the nation’s supply chain and transportation network, it is…
When it comes to decarbonizing the U.S. economy, one could be forgiven for thinking the answer is as simple as ramping up wind and solar. While that is an option – albeit one that on its own would take decades – a more realistic approach is to identify what the…
In this blog series, we are tackling the question of what longer trains mean for the United States and the world. We are using three lenses to evaluate this policy issue: safety, costs, and climate impact. Be sure to read our first blog overviewing modern day freight rail and explaining…
There seems to be agreement from all sides that hydrogen is the fuel of the future. It is combustible and energy rich, and because its molecular formula is all H, there is no carbon in the equation to emit. If our utility-scale electricity on the grid, industrial and commercial heat,…
Every year, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides funding opportunities to states and stakeholders to improve and protect pipeline safety. One way that is done is by promoting the “damage prevention” process – known by many as the “Call Before You Dig” program. Through a number of…
Construction and excavation activity that damages buried infrastructure in the United States is on the rise. For over 10 years, damage numbers have risen – now exceeding 500,000 annual incidents of striking pipelines, cables, and wires below the surface. It is estimated that this leads to economic harm of over…
In one of his early responses to the derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg referenced the apparent common phenomenon of derailments in the United States. Whether to downplay or simply place it in context, Buttigieg stated that around 1,000 trains derail every year – around three each…
Longer trains can be a blessing or a curse, depending on where you sit. Certainly when stuck at a blocked crossing, one can only see the negatives. But what does a more wholistic assessment of longer trains reveal? Does the frustration outweigh the benefits, or are longer trains a key…
