The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will flood states with financial grants to develop projects that many states would never be able to accomplish otherwise. Without federal funding, low-tax states or those with tremendous needs for remedial and new infrastructure projects would be unable to pay for developments that create jobs and economic growth.... Continue Reading →
Solar panels are essential in reducing carbon in US energy production, but there is a clear understanding that the global solar panel supply chain relies heavily on forced labor from China. Polysilicon is a key raw material in the solar photovoltaic supply chain and China is its major producer. Now, the US solar industry and... Continue Reading →
Modular buildings are coming to the forefront as the US pays more attention to reducing waste and embodied carbon in building construction. Modular construction processes build a project off-site under controlled plant conditions and then transport the components to the site for assembly and construction. Owners who are particularly concerned about reducing waste and meeting... Continue Reading →
As design firms know, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is an enormous source of funding for capital projects, allocating $1.2 trillion to a wide variety of programs ranging from environmental remediation to bridge repair to addressing cybersecurity in state, local, and tribal governments. According to the Federal Funds Information for States (an organization... Continue Reading →
The relationship between business and climate change involves both risks and opportunities. Three risks, in particular, deserve close consideration as each of them highlights business opportunities for the future. Transition Risks What are they? These are the business risks design and construction firms face related to changes in the policy and regulatory landscape; in other... Continue Reading →
It has been 26 months since we first blogged about the effect of COVID-19 on design firms. The dangers to employees, their families, and design firm productivity are still with us. So firms might want to use, or suggest to employees, the CDC Quarantine and Isolation Calculator. The calculator is geared toward the general public and... Continue Reading →
On March 30, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced new building energy code requirements for federal buildings. Beginning in April 2023, all new buildings and major retrofits constructed by the federal government must comply with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the 2019 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers Standard 90.1 building energy... Continue Reading →
The net outcome of the 3-1 vote by the SEC on March 21, 2022 for proposed rule changes would make climate risk assessments and disclosures a routine part of public financial disclosure rules in the US. The proposed rule aims to standardize climate considerations into financial disclosures to help investors gain a better picture of... Continue Reading →
The opportunity created by the federal stimulus packages passed since 2020 is undeniable, but the capacity to optimize this truly historic moment remains unclear. An infusion of trillions of dollars to keep businesses and governments from feeling too much of the pandemic pain was of primary concern early in the pandemic. In 2021, what transpired... Continue Reading →
With the post-pandemic recovery and federal stimulus funding working its way through the economy, most economists expect inflation to be a concern for the next few years. As we have noted before, there is material price escalation in the construction industry due to material shortages and snarled supply chains, which can result in larger claims... Continue Reading →
