What civil engineers are reading this week

• Investing in climate-ready infrastructure: It’s no longer ‘do we?’ but ‘how much?’

  Jake Bittle, senior staff writer at Grist and an ASCE2027 keynote speaker, discusses how the climate crisis heightens the need to invest in resilient infrastructure. Watch the new ASCE Interchange.

• Are eVTOLs ready for takeoff? Infrastructure holds the key, according to civil engineers

  Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft offer a new, eco-friendly type of air mobility with multiple use cases. How can engineers help infrastructure catch up?

• House advances spending bill with proposed 16% state revolving fund cut

  A House committee held a markup of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies spending bill that has a 16% reduction in state revolving loan fund spending for water and wastewater.  

• Judge overturns feds’ cancellation of $82.1M in clean energy grants

  The Department of Energy is expected to reinstate funding for 11 clean energy grants awarded by the previous administration and canceled by the White House after a federal judge vacated the cancellations.

• Requiring appointee approval on federal research grants risks politicizing the process

  Federal agencies would lose discretion and be bound legally to rules that would give political appointees power to approve or revoke research grants at any time without appeal, under a White House plan.

• USDOT makes $626M available for infrastructure projects

  The notice of funding opportunity prioritizes projects that connect U.S. roads with commercial spaceports to accelerate the growth of the nation’s aerospace sector.