The Biden Administration Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary, Jennifer Granholm, said Tuesday that “pipe is the best way to go” to transport fuel. The comments were made in response to the Colonial pipeline shuttering service due to a ransomware attack. The context is important, as Secretary Granholm’s comments were specific…
The recent Colonial pipeline cyber attack and ensuing disruption implicates excavation damage prevention. As industry stakeholders continue to strengthen their damage prevention systems, greater use and reliance on effective technology will be critical. Damage Prevention is the overarching process of avoiding harm to pipelines and other underground infrastructure when digging…
With a problem as large in scope as global climate change, the solution may need to be pretty big. But how about something the size of a bird, like a drone? Drones are compact but powerful tools. Already, we are seeing them complete tasks as diverse as aiding roof inspections,…
o one could be blamed for having the wrong impression of pipelines. Views tend to align with politics, and media coverage often casts these silent transport methods in one extreme light or another. The facts about pipelines are quite revealing, but there is a lot of data to discuss…
When you see a tree, you know it has roots. When you pull weeds, you aim to get all of those roots spread across the whole garden just beneath the ground. What you may not think of quite as intuitively is that modern infrastructure has roots too. This month, Aii…
Forgotten, it seems, in much of the discussion of climate change is the phrase “climate controlled.” This seemingly oxymoronic word pairing usually refers to buildings, which use heating systems and air conditioning to keep what is inside insulated from whatever occurs outside. Clearly climate control does not refer to humanity’s…
generally comes in three key stages. Each stage has its merit, but opposition to natural gas pipelines in many instances leads to negative consequences. To separate fact from fiction and dive deeper into the issue, this policy blog explores some of the broader considerations for natural gas pipelines and…
With the year-end omnibus budget and coronavirus stimulus package, the federal government’s top pipeline safety agency was reauthorized. The down-to-the-wire omnibus deal included the reauthorization, which was 447 days overdue, as the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) authorization expired in September of 2019. Due to federal rules and…
While the results of the election are still uncertain, one thing is all too clear: Congress has allowed the nation’s chief pipeline safety regulator to lapse without reauthorization for 400 days. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) was up for reauthorization late in 2019. That reauthorization is important…
The futuristic vision of drones, artificial intelligence, and other smart technology building and maintaining our critical infrastructure is closer than many think. Already, many in the transportation and utility sector employ those very technologies in daily operations to ensure efficiency and safety. As proponents of innovation, Aii hopes to…
– formerly Global Warming – is as controversial as any topic in politics today. As wildfires rage, sea ice melts, droughts appear, storms batter the coasts, and temperatures climb, it is easy to see climate change as the controlling factor lurking behind it all. How then, can some people…
Excavation Damage Every person is required to call 811 or notify their safe digging One-Call center before breaking ground. That is for backyard projects, tree planting, home construction, or professional-level excavation. Failing to do this threatens to expose or damage a pipeline, electrical line, telephone or Internet cable, water main,…
The damage prevention industry is critically important for public safety. To properly prevent damage, communication and use of technology are essential. This not only guarantees smooth, efficient, and cost effective projects, it literally saves lives. Every year, millions of dollars in lost productivity, service interruption, property damage, and even serious…
Infrastructure Week, hosted by United For Infrastructure and partnered with many organizations including Aii, has come to a close. The virtual conference included panels, papers, and perspective across the nation and from all backgrounds. The year’s theme is “Rebuild Better” with special emphasis on rebuilding America’s infrastructure, incorporating resilience, and…
At Aii, we love to read. We are always looking for new perspectives, expert analysis, and fresh insight to inform our approach to problem solving. We often read through newsletters and journalistic articles, as well as studies and reports from universities and think tanks. But, sometimes it takes a book…
