Infrastructure & Transmission

We’re upgrading our infrastructure for the 21st century

After decades of neglect to America’s infrastructure, Senator Hickenlooper was one of 22 senators – 11 Republicans and 11 Democrats – who came together to write the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, formally known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill was signed into law by President Biden in November 2021 and is the largest investment in our nation’s infrastructure since the New Deal. Colorado has already received over $7 billion in funding for over 1,000 key projects, creating good-paying jobs across the state. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law improves the safety of our roads, repairs our aging bridges, and modernizes and improves airports across Colorado.

Hickenlooper knows that drought and water security are pressing issues for Colorado. That’s why the bill prioritizes the needs of our state by building Western water infrastructure, improving drinking water, and increasing drought resiliency. The law also cleans up pollution and eliminates lead pipes, so every family can rely on clean drinking water.

High-speed internet is as essential in this century, as electricity was in the last. Senator Hickenlooper helped write a provision of the bill to expand access to universal high-speed internet, close the digital divide, and lower internet costs for consumers. This $65 billion investment will spur economic development, especially in rural communities. 

The Inflation Reduction Act, which Senator Hickenlooper helped negotiate and President Biden signed into law in August 2022, was the largest investment in climate rescue — ever. The law invested billions in clean energy, reduced energy costs for families, made America more energy secure, and has created millions of clean energy jobs in the process. 

Senator Hickenlooper also knows our transition to a clean economy hinges on improving our country’s outdated energy transmission system. And our current patchwork system lacks coordination between regions and leaves new projects stuck and paying expensive fees. 

Senator Hickenlooper supports updating our permitting process to streamline building out the transmission system we need for our clean economy. Hickenlooper is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources, and has introduced legislation, such as the BIG WIRES Act and the SPEED and RELIABILITY Act, to simplify our permitting process and better coordinate an interstate transmission system. The bills would make the grid more efficient and reliable and lower energy costs for families while speeding the U.S. transition to clean energy.