What it Means for Green Building and Design

In November, President Biden signed into a law a historic investment in our nation’s infrastructure. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or “Infrastructure bill” is a game-changer for the green building, electrification and sustainability. Much has been packed into this legislation, with sustainability and climate provisions woven throughout. We take a closer look at three of these areas: Clean Energy, Extreme Weather, and Jobs.

Clean Energy

The Infrastructure bill commits to upgrading our power infrastructure to “deliver clean, reliable energy across the country and deploy cutting-edge energy technology to achieve a zero-emissions future.” This includes a commitment to upgrade our nation’s power infrastructure by building thousands of miles of new, resilient transmission lines facilitation the expansion of renewables and clean energy all while lowering costs. The bill will also support the development and implementation of clean energy technologies to accelerate transition to a zero-emission economy. 

Additional clean energy highlights:

Extreme Weather

This year was one of the worst on record for California with crippling wildfires plaguing our state. The Infrastructure bill commits significant resources to support communities plagued by extreme weather as well as and Jobs Act commits $8.3B for water and drought resilience.

Additional extreme weather provisions include:

Jobs

Analysts predict the Infrastructure bill will add on average 1.5 million jobs per year for the next 10 years. Many of these will be “green” jobs. Those working in the fields of construction and design are predicted to find themselves in higher demand as certifications such as LEED will play a more prominent role. Here at ID360 we are working to stay ahead of demand by offering our ID360 Academy coursework entirely online and on-demand. Our courses cover the most recent statewide code changes as well as prepare individuals for LEED. Connect with us about our coursework, the changes we foresee coming with the Infrastructure bill, or any of your climate action planning needs.