Gov. Gavin Newsom issued the following statement on the congressional passage of President Biden's $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act bill package. This once-in-a-generation investment will help to create quality jobs for Californians, support the modernization of key state infrastructure, improve transportation systems and help fund the expansion of zero-emission vehicle infrastructure.
"President Biden understands the need to build a climate-resilient future, and the infrastructure package passed by Congress builds on California's unprecedented investments to maintain and modernize the state," said Newsom. "This historic infrastructure package stands to accelerate investments in our clean transportation infrastructure, help mitigate some of the worst impacts of climate change and accelerate new projects that will create thousands of jobs."
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will benefit California by investing:
- $25.3 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $4.2 billion for bridge replacement and repairs over five years;
- $9.45 billion over five years to improve public transportation options across the state;
- $384 million over five years to support the expansion of an EV charging network in the state and the opportunity to apply for the $2.5 billion in grant funding dedicated to EV charging;
- A minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across the state;
- $84 million over five years to protect against wildfires;
- $40 million to protect against cyberattacks;
- $3.5 billion over five years to improve water infrastructure across the state and ensure clean, safe drinking water for California communities;
- $1.5 billion for infrastructure development for airports over five years.
With Newsom's $100 billion California Comeback Plan, California has already made significant investments in infrastructure, which will be supported by the additional funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The plan made the single largest investment in wildfire and emergency preparedness in California's history, investing $2 billion to purchase new firefighting equipment like air tankers and helicopters and support a comprehensive forest and wildfire resilience strategy statewide.
The plan includes a $3.9 billion investment to hit fast-forward on zero-emissions vehicle goals, leading to cleaner air for future generations. The California Comeback Plan includes $3.7 billion to build resilience against the state's multi-faceted climate risks, including extreme heat and sea level rise, and address environmental justice priorities that support the low-income and disadvantaged communities bearing the brunt of climate change impacts.
The plan also invests $5.2 billion over three years to support immediate drought response and long-term water resilience in the face of more extreme weather cycles, including funding for emergency drought relief projects to secure and expand water supplies, Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation and projects to support wildlife and habitat restoration efforts.
California has invested $6 billion to expand broadband coverage and access through the construction of a state-owned open access middle mile network and last mile projects that connect unserved households and businesses with local networks.
The passage of this federal infrastructure bill means even greater investments into the state and Newsom will continue to support and implement policies aimed at uplifting every Californian.
"The success of California's programs, along with our partnership with the Biden White House, will help propel our groundbreaking work here in California to other states throughout the nation," Newsom said.
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