What Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan means for Maine

Bruce Van Note at a road construction site

Photo / Tim Greenway Bruce Van Note, commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation, told Mainebiz he hopes Congress and President Biden can advance the infrastructure package unveiled on Wednesday.

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By Renee Cordes

From bridges to broadband, President Joe Biden's $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan unveiled Wednesday could mean significant new investment in Maine. Known as the American Jobs Plan, it aims to modernize transportation infrastructure nationwide including 20,000 miles of road and 10,000 bridges.

Areas of investment over eight years include broadband, to the tune of $100 billion to achieve 100% coverage; upgrades to passenger and freight rail service as well as ports, waterways and airports; and incentives to expand the U.S. market share of plug-in electric vehicles, currently only one-third the size of the Chinese market.

"Is it big? Yes. Is it bold? Yes. And we can get it done," Biden said at a carpenters training facility in Pittsburgh where he announced the roadmap. Biden's plan, which drew quick criticism from both sides of the political aisle, is likely to be broken up into two or more bills that face an uphill battle in Congress.

Mixed reactions in Maine

The plan drew mixed reactions from a handful of experts who shared their initial takes with Mainebiz. Here's what they told us.

Bruce Van Note, Maine Department of Transportation Commissioner. "It's an exciting time to work in transportation. In Maine, we have shown that investments pay off. They improve public safety, support economic opportunity, build quality communities, and improve our environment and climate for future generations. At the Maine Department of Transportation, we have been relying on discretionary federal funds and state bonding to meet basic needs in recent years. Long-term, sustainable funding solutions that allow us to improve — not just maintain — our transportation system are important to Maine people, our economy, and our future success. We hope Congress and the President can advance an infrastructure package to that end.”

Photo / Tim Greenway

Kay Aikin, CEO of Dynamic Grid in Portland.

Kay Aikin, CEO of Dynamic Grid in Portland and a 2020 Mainebiz Next List honoree: "On balance a step in the right direction but no long-term planning... more throw money at big-ticket items rather than looking at the core problems like distribution systems to support beneficial electrification and distributed energy."

She said the plan has some good provisions, including for transmission subsidies ("We need to get renewable power from where it is created to where it is used"); transmission lines built in an environmental way ("Think of Maine Clean Energy Connect with out the impacts to the North woods"); the expansion of electric cars and charging infrastructure, though she disagrees with the proposed subsidies; and energy efficiency.

Less enthusiastic about plan's suggestion related to building more roads, she said: "I believe in public transportation but not sure that our current public transportation needs increased capacity because it is currently underused. We should be making it harder (in the cities) to travel by car, but I see a large expansion of new roads."

File photo / Tim Greenway

Tilson CEO Joshua Broder

Joshua Broder, Tilson CEO and a 2018 Mainebiz Business Leader of the Year: "We are thrilled to hear about the proposed $100 billion investment in broadband. It's the right level of support to address the enormous digital divide in America, and we find common cause with the key points in the plan — reaching all Americans, affordability and competition. Tilson is preparing nationally to execute on this vision."

Photo / E2Tech

Martin Grohman, executive director of E2Tech.

Martin Grohman, executive director of the Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine, or E2Tech:
"Electric vehicles are fun to drive, cheaper to operate and have more torque. But we're going to need a heck of a lot of master electricians and to make siting and permitting clean energy projects a lot simpler."

Grohman would also like to see more purchasing options that work for people who drive the least fuel-efficient vehicles, "sort of like an updated version of cash for clunkers."

File Photo / Tim Greenway

Airport Director Paul Bradbury of the Portland International Jetport.

Paul Bradbury, airport director, Portland International Jetport: "Aviation has been hit hard by the pandemic and will struggle to meet its nationwide backlog of $115 billion in airport infrastructure projects. I am pleased the American Jobs Plan includes $25 billion to support airport infrastructure and know it will be needed as the industry recovers and travelers return to the sky. At the Jetport, we have delayed nearly $11 million in projects due to the pandemic. This proposed airport investment will help close the project backlog and modernize the nation's air transportation system to meet current and future traveler needs."