MAP-21 includes a suite of provisions aimed at expediting reviews of highway and transit projects. Federal agencies have been working to turn that legislative language into formal regulations.
Most recently, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration on Jan. 13 published a final version of one of those rules, expanding the types of projects that would not be required to file the sometimes-lengthy environmental assessments or environmental impact statements. The rule will take effect on Feb. 12.
But Shuster said he is “still waiting for action” from the administration on expediting permitting for projects.
On energy, Obama reiterated his “all-of-the-above” approach to power sources. He said that if natural gas is “extracted safely, it’s the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change.”
Obama added that the U.S. also is “becoming a leader” in solar power, calling for tax changes to curb incentives for fossil-fuel companies and help “fuels of the future.”
In a statement, American Institute of Architects CEO Robert Ivy made a pitch for reviving a tax incentive for energy-efficient buildings that expired at the end of December.
The major environmental item in the speech was Obama’s call for “more urgency” to deal with climate change. He pointed to new emissions standards for powerplants now in the works.
The State of the Union’s other major construction topic was the minimum-wage hike for federal construction and service-industry contractors and a reference more action on workforce development.
Obama said he would sign an executive order “in the coming weeks” to raise the wage to $10.10 an hour from the current $7.25. The change would apply to new contracts issued after the directive is issued. Construction industry data and reactions indicate that the higher minimum wage would have limited impact on the industry. (See enr.com blog). ENR-published information shows that 2013 average wages for laborers were no lower than $13.61 per hour.
However, AGC's Sandherr also noted keen industry interest in Obama's reference to "intriguing proposals regarding workforce development and their potential impact on helping train the next generation of construction workers."
He emphasizied that "many of our members are concerned about where they will find qualified new workers in the near future" and that "students should be encouraged to investigate rewarding career opportunities that do not require college degrees."
