Louisiana has received $10.2B for climate, infrastructure | News - NOLA.com

Louisiana has received $10.2B for climate, infrastructure | News | nola.com

A Houma shipbuilder will spend $624 million building cutting-edge vessels to map the ocean and create nautical charts for the federal government. Two companies, Syrah Technologies and Koura, will spend a collective $320 million manufacturing materials for electric vehicle batteries in Vidalia and St. Gabriel. A group of firms will spend $603 million on a controversial carbon capture project in southwest Louisiana.

All of it will be funded by the federal government as part of the $10.2 billion Louisiana has been awarded, so far, through two massive infrastructure and climate laws passed since 2021, according to a new state report.

The money will provide a staggering windfall for Louisiana at a time when climate change has prompted the state to try and harden its infrastructure and transition some of its most important industries away from fossil fuels.

The report, released earlier this month by Gov. John Bel Edwards, tracks more than 780 projects receiving funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022. It’s the broadest accounting yet of what the two laws, which combined will spend around $2 trillion across the U.S., mean for Louisiana. More funds are likely on the way as state agencies, local governments and private companies continue applying for grant programs through the legislation.

Governor John Bel Edwards speaks at the Huey P. Long Fieldhouse restoration project ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.

Edwards, a Democrat who has championed infrastructure projects at the state and federal level, has used his climate action plan, which seeks to decrease Louisiana’s carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, as a roadmap for spending much of the money. But he leaves office in January, and the oversight of the billions in federal funds already awarded -- and the state's ability to land more awards -- will now be left to Gov.-elect Jeff Landry, who hasn't said much publicly about how he'll approach the federal programs.

Landry didn't respond to messages seeking comment. In the past, he has called climate change a hoax and has sued the Biden administration multiple times for policies on oil and gas, COVID and other issues. But as part of his transition, he has tapped a committee of experts to chart a course for infrastructure in his administration. The group is expected to deliver a report soon.

Edwards’ administration and the Center for Planning Excellence, known as CPEX, a Baton Rouge nonprofit, held a series of workshops with state agency leaders over the past two years to try to get as much federal aid as possible and establish investment priorities, said Camille Manning-Broome, CPEX president and CEO.

Governor-elect Jeff Landry speaks during a press conference Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at Russo Park in Lafayette, La.

She said the programs “have the potential to advance large-scale, transformative initiatives that Louisiana desperately needs to modernize our antiquated and vulnerable infrastructure.” She added that the funding should allow the state to improve its “climate readiness” and ensure that supporting people and communities are the first priority when it comes to major projects.

Wide array of projects

The biggest category of projects is roads and bridges, which is set to get a windfall of $3.8 billion. Already receiving funding are projects to replace the Calcasieu River Bridge and help cities improve surface streets, among other things.

The money will also be used on other types of infrastructure. For instance, More than $1.3 billion is slated for projects aimed at making the state more resilient in the face of stronger hurricanes and other effects of a changing climate. That includes elevating flood-prone homes across south Louisiana and building the massive Morganza to the Gulf flood protection system.

The Calcasieu River Bridge is pictured Thursday, December 9, 2021, in Lake Charles, La.

Another $1.6 billion will go to building out clean energy and bolstering the power grid by making homes more energy efficient and deploying stronger utility poles. The state and its utilities are also looking to fund solar microgrids that can operate independently of the grid if a storm hits. Federal infrastructure money may be crucial if Entergy New Orleans is to embark on a massive resilience plan, which most agree is needed.

Nearly $1.6 billion is destined for an ambitious plan to deploy broadband access to every resident in the state.

Water systems are slated to be rebuilt through a $265 million grant fund that is doling out awards to local governments. Cities are set to get electric buses, contaminated sites are listed for cleanup and other infrastructure like airports, ports and railways have been awarded funds to bolster their operations.

New Orleans is set to get at least $123 million directly, and the state and private companies are also set to spend hundreds of millions more in the region.

Entergy crews move part of a large utility pole into place in the Bayou Bienvenue Marsh on Friday, September 30, 2005. Entergy crews are working to restore power to parts of St. Bernard Parish. They are using an Erickson Air Crane to lift huge utility poles and bring them into the Bayou Bienvenue marsh in Chalmette. (Photo by Rusty Costanza, NOLA.com| The Times-Picayune archive)

The funding for New Orleans includes $71 million for a program to provide low or no emissions buses; $24 million to fund a downtown transit center; $5.2 million to modernize the Algiers point ferry station and $2 million to clean up the abandoned naval complex in the Bywater.

The report said 68% of the awards are located in disadvantaged areas.

How Louisiana stacks up

It’s difficult to say how Louisiana stacks up to the rest of the U.S. in terms of federal funds.

Jackson Wright, director of special projects for Edwards, said there is no central repository for awards from the two bills. His office tracked announcements to come up with the list of projects in the state report, and developed an online map. But not all states have done the same.

A Times-Picayune analysis of a federal report of public funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law suggests Louisiana is getting more than some neighboring states. That data indicates Louisiana has received $1,682 per person, compared to $1,614 for Arkansas, $1,555 for Mississippi, $1,172 for Alabama, $916 for Texas and $844 for Georgia.

The data only includes about $7.7 billion of the more than $9 billion in funds tracked by the state, meaning the per-capita figures are likely much higher.

Political support

Louisiana’s congressional delegation largely opposed both bills. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter, D-New Orleans, were the only members to support the bipartisan infrastructure law, in 2021. The other Republicans -- U.S. Sen. John Kennedy and U.S. Reps. Garret Graves, Steve Scalise, Mike Johnson, Clay Higgins and Julia Letlow -- all opposed both bills, which the GOP argued was an irresponsible use of tax dollars that would blow up the budget and hurt Louisiana industries.

Cassidy joined them in voting against the Inflation Reduction Act last year, leaving Carter as the only Louisiana supporter of the bill.

Senator Bill Cassidy tours the Ardoin building on the Lafayette campus of South Louisiana Community College on Thursday, August 31, 2023.

Still, Louisiana has been well-represented in the massive federal spending. Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has served as President Joe Biden’s infrastructure czar since 2021. And Cassidy has touted his role in helping craft the bipartisan infrastructure law, one of the few Republicans to cross the aisle to do so.

Landrieu said in a statement that Louisiana has seen "truly historic levels of investment thanks to President Biden."

"Our roads and bridges are getting rebuilt, countless families can finally afford reliable high-speed internet, and we’re increasing our resilience to the impacts of climate change with stronger, more resilient infrastructure," he said.