VOORHEES, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--To help address the $2 trillion in infrastructure needs currently facing
our country, a group of leading CEOs and former elected officials today
are releasing a report calling for a major culture change in how the
United States funds infrastructure projects. The report, Bridging
the Gap Together: A New Model to Modernize U.S. Infrastructure,
authored by the Bipartisan Policy Center’s (BPC) Executive Council on
Infrastructure, lays out a vision for increasing public-private
partnerships and private capital in projects like water and wastewater
systems, energy grids, ports, roads and bridges, and provides a roadmap
to overcoming the barriers that discourage private investment.
The public event to launch the Council’s report will be held on Monday,
May 16, 2016 from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. The co-chairs of the BPC’s Executive
Council on Infrastructure, Susan Story, President and CEO, American
Water, and Doug Peterson, President and CEO, S&P Global will present the
council’s recommendations, followed by a panel discussion among council
and Advisory Group members in attendance. The panel will be moderated by
Congressman Steve Bartlett and, in addition to Story and Peterson,
includes Henry Cisneros, former HUD Secretary and Mayor of San Antonio,
Jane Garvey, Chairman North America, Meridiam, and Antonio Villaraigosa,
former Mayor of Los Angeles. Closing remarks will be delivered by Eric
Cantor, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Moelis & Co. and Former
House Majority Leader.
“The success of this effort is particularly important to American Water
as we know that safe, clean, reliable and affordable water services are
the foundation for every community,” said Story. “We hope this report
will result in a
new way to invest in infrastructure, one in which the public and
private sectors work together to make a transformative impact on our
nation’s infrastructure, create millions of jobs, maintain the health,
safety, and security of our communities, and put our nation on track for
decades of greater prosperity.”
According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, failure to make
necessary investments in infrastructure may lead to $206 billion in
increased costs for businesses and households between 2011 and 2020. And
while state laws enabling public-private partnerships are an essential
building block to expanding private investment in infrastructure, very
few comprehensively allow a full range of partnerships.
“The core principles and actions proposed in the council’s report,
coupled with new funding sources and financial tools, will lead to more
modern, higher-quality, and more resilient infrastructure networks,”
Story added.
To advance this effort, BPC Executive Council leaders and staff commit
to the following actions:
-
Applying a new model for investing in infrastructure to the national
challenges in water and wastewater infrastructure;
-
Supporting state and local officials in passing P3 legislation;
-
Providing guidelines for developing and evaluating state and local
asset inventories; and
-
Aiding in the development of a central clearinghouse for information
and technical assistance on P3s.
The report is being released as part of Infrastructure Week, a national
week of events, education and advocacy efforts to elevate infrastructure
as a critical issue impacting all Americans.
Founded in 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest publicly
traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. Marking its 130th
anniversary this year, the company employs more than 6,700 dedicated
professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water,
wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people
in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found at www.amwater.com.
Click
here to subscribe to Mobile Alerts for American Water.
