This month, Aii Director of Public Policy Benjamin Dierker spoke at the 2022 Indiana Law Review Symposium: “Transportation Infrastructure Law and Policy: The Road Forward.” The event, featured attorneys and researchers from a range of public policy spheres that intersect with transportation infrastructure. Joining a panel titled “The Future of…
The purpose of the strategic petroleum reserve is for national emergencies, international crises, and other disruptions in the supply of oil. It was never conceived to be a spigot to turn when self-created policies lead to bad circumstances. While there is no doubt that factors like lingering market impacts from…
Do you know what is below? After a month of emphasizing modern roots, it is time to move into national safe digging month! Throughout March, Aii has been educating on the importance of building intuition about what is below your feet every day. While no one has X-ray vision, everyone…
Are you planning to dig a hole? Maybe you’re just planting a small tree, installing a mailbox, or leveling out a wonky slope in your yard – but there may be something important underground that you can hit! Picture that you are standing below ground with your eyes at surface…
If you have been following the Aii educational series Modern Roots March this month, you’ll know that we want to get you thinking about underground utilities like you think about the roots of plants and trees. The reason is simple: if you start to recognize that modern life is supported…
Everyone knows you wouldn’t dig right next to the base of a tree if you thought there were roots underfoot. The same intuition should govern your decisions wherever you are because modern life is so interconnected that utilities, pipes, and wires run under your feet almost anywhere you are! That…
An Artificial Energy Crisis President Joe Biden said this week that “It’s simply not true that my administration or policies are holding back domestic energy production.” He went on to cite onshore production statistics, comparing them to President Donald Trump’s first year in office, and stating that thousands of…
Throughout your daily routine – whether it’s your commute to work, grocery shopping, or visiting grandma – your life is dependent on crucial pieces of infrastructure you may not even notice. The foundation of our ability to enjoy electricity, running water, and home heating rests on millions of miles of…
The current push to electrify the U.S. transportation sector along with homes and businesses means that massive amounts of raw material will be needed to build out a more robust and smarter grid, deploy new renewable technology, and facilitate power storage. This electrified future that many long for will require…
Running ahead of public policy, the corporate world is adopting new and innovative ways to ensure responsible operations and stewardship of their environments. The approach of environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) has given companies a framework to prioritize projects, minimize their footprint, engage their communities, and measure their performance…
Thriving society requires energy. The source of that energy can come from an array of natural resources and technological processes to convert light, heat, and motion into power. Energy development must, of course, be reconciled with environmental protection to minimize negative externalities. As innovators and public officials seek a sustainable…
Every year, nearly $100 billion are lost in the U.S. economy due to excavation damage and the inefficiencies in the system designed to prevent them. With systemic issues unaddressed, these costs are poised to keep rising year after year. What is even worse, Congress enacted a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package…
Constructing new infrastructure, buildings, or even planting trees all require breaking ground. These excavation projects use shovels, augers, jackhammers, backhoes, and other excavation equipment to scrape away earth and make way for new foundations, new pipelines, and new facilities. The problem is that this often threatens the subsurface infrastructure already…
If Gregory House, MD has taught us anything it is that people lie and people have bias. On a topic as politically charged as climate change, we can chalk lies up to rhetoric and framing of an issue. But the more interesting and pertinent issue is bias. When starting a…
Climate, ESG, sustainability, resilience – these themes dominate the culture from boardrooms to academia and even confront us through our televisions and social media platforms. The most consistent thread of all these concepts is the emphasis to mitigate, remove, and reverse atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases….
