As compared to President Biden’s first infrastructure proposal – the American Jobs Plan – and various legislative proposals, the Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure package includes a pared-down version of climate-related investments. In addition to transit, electric grid, and clean school bus investments, here’s a run-down of the climate change section of the Senate’s infrastructure framework:  

Climate Change Provisions – Subtitle D under Title I – Federal-Aid Highways 

SEC. 11401. GRANTS FOR CHARGING AND FUELING INFRASTRUCTURE 

·         Grants for charging and alternative fuel infrastructure – for electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles, propane vehicles, and natural gas vehicles. 

SEC. 11402. REDUCTION OF TRUCK EMISSIONS AT PORT FACILITIES 

·         Program to reduce idling and associated emissions at ports 

SEC. 11403. CARBON REDUCTION PROGRAM 

·         Electric vehicle charging infrastructure or hydrogen, natural gas, or propane vehicle fueling infrastructure, diesel engine retrofits, and other projects that reduce transportation emissions at ports.  

SEC. 11404. CONGESTION RELIEF PROGRAM 

·         Grants for congestion relief in major metropolitan areas.  

SEC. 11405. PROMOTING RESILIENT OPERATIONS FOR TRANSFORMATIVE, EFFICIENT, AND COST SAVING TRANSPORTATION (PROTECT) PROGRAM 

·         Grants for resilience improvements such as protecting surface transportation assets and “planning… to enable communities to assess vulnerabilities to current and future weather events and natural disasters and changing conditions, including sea level rise, and plan transportation improvements and emergency response strategies to address those vulnerabilities.” Federal cost share cannot be more than 80 percent of the project cost. Priority funding for projects that reduce the risk of flood, wildfire, and sea level rise impacts. Projects can be located within floodplains.  

SEC. 11406. HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM 

·         Grants for tree canopy assessments and areas of extreme urban heat, tree plantings, purchasing porous pavement in urban areas to minimize floodwater and stormwater runoff, etc.  

What’s missing from other climate proposals includes electric vehicle tax credits, greater spending on electric vehicle charging stations, a Civilian Climate Corps, a clean energy accelerator program, a clean energy/electricity standard, other alternative fuel or renewable energy tax credits, an Advanced Research Projects Agency for Climate (ARPA-C) (even though there is one in the bill for infrastructure (ARPA-I)), extensive climate R&D funding, plus more. These proposals could be folded into subsequent legislative packages or added as proposed amendments to the Senate’s bill.