ATLANTA — Georgia is set to receive more than $11 billion from President Joe Biden’s $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill, though half of the state’s congressmen voted against it. 

Georgia’s Democrat lawmakers in both the House and Senate voted in favor of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,  while Georgia’s eight Republican representatives voted against the bill, which was signed into law Nov. 15.

“This historic, once-in-a-generation investment in our state’s infrastructure needs will create sustainable, good-paying jobs, address the growing impacts of climate change and help move our economy into the future,” said Sen. Raphael Warnock

Republican Rep. Andrew Clyde, GA-09, expressed his disappointment with 13 Republican colleagues who voted in favor of what he called the  “spending bill,” stating that only 9% of the funds would only be used for infrastructure.  

“The vast majority of this bill is brimming with wasteful spending that advances radical Green New Deal policies, including billions of dollars for carbon capture programs, federally subsidized electric vehicle charging stations, and zero-emission bus grants for intercity transit,” Clyde said in a statement. “At the end of the day, the bill completely fails to address border security infrastructure and to solve one of the worst supply chain crises of our lifetime.”

Some of Georgia’s share of the funding, to be dispersed over five years, is anticipated to help transition to clean energy use— $135 million of it to build an electric vehicle charging network across Georgia and funds to replace transit vehicles and buses with clean, low- and zero-emissions vehicles.

Part of that provision stems from Warnock’s Clean Commute for Kids Act which plans to transition buses that run on diesel fuel to zero to low-emission buses. This federal funding will help support and grow jobs at Georgia companies like Fort Valley’s Blue Bird Corporation, which has been an industry leader in green commute technology, Warnock said.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal is the type of legislation that will advance the deployment of alternative-power buses, allowing school districts to easily replace aging diesel models with ones that have zero and low emissions,” said Matthew Stevenson, president and CEO of Blue Bird Corporation, a school bus manufacturer in Fort Valley. “Blue Bird is very encouraged that the deal will accelerate climate friendly student transportation and supports a nationwide EV charging infrastructure that will benefit the environment and, most importantly, the health of our children…The infrastructure legislation, besides cutting air pollution linked to asthma, also is expected to drive demand for American-made vehicle technology, including batteries, resulting in new jobs.”

Ossoff also sponsored several bills included in the infrastructure package including funds to replace lead pipes for drinking water systems, upgrade public school facilities, boost transit funding in rural areas, invest in flood and storm resilience in coastal Georgia and to secure more funding for public transportation in Metro Atlanta and statewide.

Ossoff’s office provided a breakdown for some of Georgia’s infrastructure funds of which include:

 $1.36 billion for public transportation to various jurisdictions

The White House reports that Georgians who take public transportation spend an extra 74.1% of their time commuting and non-white households are 3.9 times more likely to commute via public transportation. Seven percent of trains and other transit vehicles in the state are past useful life, according the White House report. A jurisdictional break down, according to Ossoff, includes:

• Roughly $923 million for Metro Atlanta
• Roughly $11 million for Albany
• Roughly $24 million for Athens-Clarke County
• Roughly $25 million for Augusta-Richmond County
• Roughly $5.8 million for Brunswick
• Roughly $5.5 million for Cartersville
• Roughly $33 million for the Chattanooga/NW Georgia area
• Roughly $20.7 million for Columbus-Muscogee County
• Roughly $9 million for Dalton
• Roughly $13.8 million for Gainesville
• Roughly $6 million for Hinesville
• Roughly $16 million for Macon-Bibb County
• Roughly $14.4 million for Rome
• Roughly $30.7 million for Savannah
• Roughly $9 million for Valdosta
• Roughly $15 million for Warner Robins

Roads and bridges

More than 374 bridges and over 2,260 miles of highway are in poor condition in Georgia, according to the White House. Since 2011, the White House reports that commute times have increased by 10.8% in Georgia and on average, each driver pays $375 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair. The funding calls for: 

• $8.9 billion to fund repairs of Georgia roads and highways
• $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs in Georgia

Rural broadband

An estimated 15% of Georgia households do not have an internet subscription, and 6% of Georgians live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure, according the White House. The infrastructure bill aims to provide access to the at least 649,000 Georgians who currently lack it., and nearly 3.2 million Georgias will be eligible for the Affordability Connectivity Benefit, which will help low-income families afford internet access, including: 

• At least $100 million to help provide broadband coverage across Georgia
• Establishes the Affordability Connectivity Benefit to help more than three million low-income Georgians afford internet access

Coastal storm mitigation

From 2010 to 2020, the White House reports that Georgia has experienced 46 extreme weather events, costing the state up to $20 billion in damages.

The bill includes: 

• $12 billion for flood mitigation efforts in Georgia and across the country

Improving drinking water 

Currently, up to 10 million American households and 400,000 schools and child care centers lack safe drinking water, according to White House data. 

To address that need the funding includes: 

• $55 billion to replace lead pipes and service lines in public schools and buildings in Georgia and across the country

Airports

The bill also calls for $619 million for repairs and upgrades at Georgia’s aging airport infrastructure across the state. 

Port infrastructure 

Over $16.5 billion will be allocated for waterway and coastal infrastructure in Georgia and across the country.

Public school upgrades

The funding includes a $500 million grant program to make infrastructure and energy efficiency upgrades at public schools in Georgia and across the country, but it unknown at this point exactly how Georgia’s share of that money will be allocated. 

“For too long, Congress has failed to act boldly when it comes to our infrastructure, leaving our country with congested roads, failing sewer systems, lead in our pipes, unsafe bridges, unreliable broadband and slow-moving trains.,” said Rep David Scott, GA-13 in a statement. “The bipartisan infrastructure bill will invest in American workers and strengthen our economy with good-paying jobs that will revitalize Georgia roads, secure cleaner air and water, restore our global competitiveness and make our communities a better place to live and work by bringing our infrastructure into the 21st century. I am pleased to support this crucial down-payment on our shared mandate from the American people to deliver a stronger, fairer economy for working and middle class families”

“It is $1.2 trillion in total spending, but only a sliver of that is dedicated to traditional infrastructure projects, like roads and bridges,” said Republican Rep. Austin Scott, GA-08. following his Nov. 5 vote against the bill. “The Republicans who voted for this yesterday helped pave the way for the Reconciliation package to be brought up in the coming weeks, which will lead to higher taxes and more federal control of our lives.”

State leaders can choose how to spend and prioritize funds, and some of state’s infrastructure funds are part of competitive grant programs that will require state and local governments to apply for in order to access the funding.