Bill contains Hickenlooper-authored provisions on electric vehicles, broadband, RTD & marijuana
Also included: Western water and clean energy infrastructure, climate change mitigation, billions for roads, bridges & public transit
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper announced that he secured numerous Colorado priorities in the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Hickenlooper is part of a bipartisan group of 22 senators who negotiated and wrote the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, which the Senate is expected to pass this week.
“We must fix our crumbling infrastructure and embrace our clean energy future,” said Hickenlooper, a member of the “G-22” group of senators who negotiated the bipartisan bill. “This bipartisan bill shows the world that our democracy still works. It comes in the nick of time as we face droughts, wildfires, mudslides, and aging infrastructure across Colorado and the nation.”
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes several provisions authored by Hickenlooper, including:
- The RECHARGE Act: Hickenlooper’s bill makes it more affordable to drive an electric vehicle by having states review utility rates for EV charging.
- A national standard to prevent marijuana-impaired driving: Hickenlooper’s amendment requires the federal government to recommend ways for researchers to access marijuana samples and study how marijuana impairs driving.
- Returning RTD’s deposit on Union Station loan: Hickenlooper’s provision wouldrequire the Department of Transportation to quickly return $28.9 million, plus interest, for a deposit that RTD made on a federal loan related to Denver’s Union Station.
- $65 billion to ensure every American has high-speed internet: As part of the bipartisan group, Hickenlooper helped write the broadband section of the legislation. This investment will help close the digital divide and lower costs for consumers.
Other key provisions for Colorado include:
Western Water Infrastructure:
- $3.2 billion for aging infrastructure
- $1 billion for water recycling, including $450 million for large water recycling projects
- $1 billion for rural water and $500 million for dam safety
- $300 million for the Drought Contingency Plan, including $50 million for Upper Basin States
- $400 million for WaterSMART, including $100 million for natural infrastructure projects
- $100 million for cooperative watershed management, $250 million for aquatic ecosystem restoration program, and $100 million for watershed projects
- $50 million for Colorado River endangered species recovery and conservation programs
Transportation:
- $110 billion for roads and bridges, which would help repair 481 Colorado bridges and over 3,600 miles of Colorado highway in poor condition
- $25 billion for airport improvements
- $39 billion to modernize public transit
- $66 billion for passenger and freight rail investments, including $16 billion specifically for Amtrak
Climate Change Mitigation and Clean Energy:
- $73 billion for transmission lines, grid reliability, carbon capture and direct air capture, clean hydrogen, energy efficiency, and other energy innovation priorities
- $43 billion for wildfire and drought resiliency, weatherization, flood mitigation, and cybersecurity for critical infrastructure
- $7.5 billionfor the first-ever federal investment in a national charging network for electric vehicles
- $2.5 billion for zero-emission buses
Drinking Water and Pollution Remediation:
- $21 billion to address legacy pollution, including Superfund sites and abandoned wells, and a new program to clean up abandoned hardrock mines
- $55 billion for drinking water infrastructure updates and lead pipe removal, including $3.5 billion for Tribal access to clean water
###