Expert Advice

Where is the Money Going? The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill

What is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill?

This legislation is considered by the White House Administration as a “Once in a Generation” investment in our infrastructure.  The “Bipartisan” stands for the fact that both Republicans and Democrats both agreed to support this bill.  Essentially, this Bill includes $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s infrastructure.  The overall goals are to grow the Nation’s economy, enhance our competitiveness, create good paying jobs, and make our economy more sustainable, resilient, and just. The article is intended to breakdown the categories of infrastructure funding in California, which agencies are receiving funding, how much funding, and how to put your business in a position to bid on and win these upcoming contracts. 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Maps Dashboard | D2D (gsa.gov)

We have reviewed the excel spreadsheet that is attached to the official Bipartisan Infrastructure Spending Package.  We have taken the time to breakdown the spending based on Subcategory and State, providing a total spending for each subcategory.  This means that overall, the US Federal Government has sent the state of California $16,238,919,515 billion dollars that is to be spent on Infrastructure here in our State.


Airports in California:  Every airport, both large and small, in California received funding from the Federal Aviation Administration.  Airports received funding based on the size of the airport.  For example, a small airport in Woodlake California received $110,000 in funding, while Sacramento International Airport received $13 million.

Broadband:  A unique set of funding that came from the Federal National Telecommunications and Information Administration.  Only two California agencies received funding.  Yurok Telecommunications Corp and the Hoopa Valley Tribal Council are splitting a total of $128,801,407 million in funding to support expansion of broadband access to Native American Communities across California.

Clean Energy and Power:  The Federal Department of Energy sent California a total of $207,343,631 to support the growth of clean energy and power across all cities and counties in California.  Unfortunately, as of this writing, the specific breakdown of where and how these $207 million dollars will be spent was not spelled out, except for two universities.  San Jose State University has received $1.4 million dollars and San Diego State has received $1.4 million.

Electric Vehicles, Buses and Ferries:  The Environmental Protection Agency has sent California a total of $206,805,001 in funding.  This funding is specifically directed towards selected school districts in California.  The excel report shows that 21 school districts have received or will be receiving anywhere from $395,000 and up to $9.8 million in funding.

Environmental Remediation: Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior have sent California a combined total of $64,495,000 million in funding to support the removal of contaminants from soil, surface water, groundwater, sediment, etc.  Simply put, if there is a risk of environmental damage or the health of humans, environmental remediation is used to reclaim the contaminated area.  Only the cities of Jackson, Freson, Eureka, Bakersfield, and Grass Valley were listed in the excel report.  What Is Environmental Remediation?: A Guide – AOTC (a-otc.com)

Ports and Waterways:  Now in this case, The Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Aviation Administration have both sent funding to States for the purpose of supporting infrastructure at Ports and Waterways.  California will receive $58,095,095 in funding.  This will be divided among specific cities as well as private or nonprofit entities receiving substantial funding.  For example;

  • Alcatraz Cruises operates out of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco will receive $1.6 million
  • Blue and Gold Fleet, which also operates out of Fisherman’s Wharf, will receive $308,043.
  • Coyote Valley Dam in Ukiah will receive $1.5 million in funding.

Public Transportation:  As one of the biggest investments into infrastructure, the Federal Transit Administration is sending California $2,198,453,377 in funding.  Unfortunately, there is no breakdown in the excel spreadsheet showing how much each city or county will be receiving.

Resilience:  This is another broad category of infrastructure.  Multiple federal agencies contributed to the $279,623,221 million in funding the state of California received.  Eighty-six separate cities, counties, and entities in California are going to receive funding.  Such as;

  • Eradicating invasive plants to support native species in the Kings Range Conservation Area in Eureka California
  • Bayfront Canal in Redwood City California

Roads, Bridges, and Major Projects:  The Federal Highway Administration and the Department of Transportation are both supporting funding California with $5,195,426,776 in total funding.  Unfortunately, the specific projects, cities, and counties are not cited in the excel report.

Transportation Safety:  Various federal agencies are combining to send California $301,743,961 in funding.  There is no specific definition as to what safety infrastructure projects will be supported, or which cities, counties, or entities will receive this funding.

Water:  Under the infrastructure category of Climate, Energy and Environment, California is receiving $1,095,505,440 in funding.  In Northern California, this includes;

  • Marin Municipal Water District
  • City of Palo Alto
  • Solano County
  • Sonoma Water Agency

In conclusion, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill will provide funding for large infrastructure projects over the next 2-3 years.  Understanding who is receiving funding and how it will be spent is only step 1 in the process of winning future contracts.  To learn more and better understand how to take advantage of this knowledge, reach out to Norcal PTAC or your local PTAC representatives.


If you are looking for help with government contracting or want no-cost help to find contracting opportunities, please contact your Norcal PTAC counselor for assistance or apply for services today!

If you have more questions, please contact us at info@norcalptac.org or 707.267.7561


Authored by: Thomas Burns, Norcal PTAC Procurement Specialist

Newsletter Source: GSA Data to Decisions