COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The Biden Administration has committed billions of dollars to Ohio for private sector and public investments, but where is that money going?
On Monday, the White House unveiled a fact sheet breaking down investments made by President Joe Biden to celebrate “Infrastructure Week.” For Ohio, the fact sheet laid out $42.8 billion in private sector commitments and $12.8 billion in public investments in clean energy, infrastructure, and manufacturing made by the administration in the state as of April.
Here are the investments the Biden Administration has committed to Ohio:
Key numbers
The fact sheet included a breakdown of the money going toward key investments such as high-speed internet, public transportation, replacing toxic lead pipes, and more. It also showed how many jobs have been added.
- $1.8 billion in funding to provide high-speed internet to everyone in the state
- $8.6 billion announced for transportation investments in roads, bridges, public transit, rail, ports and airports, as well as electric school buses and transit buses, EV charging, and more
- $10.1 billion in private sector commitments to invest in EVs and batteries
- 3.8% unemployment rate with 314,000 jobs created
- $1 billion announced to provide clean water across Ohio and improve water infrastructure, including $238.2 million to replace toxic lead pipes
- $28 billion in private sector commitments to invest in semiconductors and electronics
Project spotlights
Four specific projects were highlighted by the fact sheet, showing how some of the investments are playing out in practice.
- A $1.6 billion award from the Department of Transportation will go toward upgrading the Brent Spence Bridge, which connects Cincinnati to northern Kentucky. This is expected to improve interstate and local traffic flow for a bridge that carries more than $400 billion in freight per year.
- The Department of Interior will award up to $231 million to Ohio for plugging, remediating, and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas wells on state and private lands.
- $127 million has been awarded to Cincinnati to replace the 85-year-old structurally deficient Western Hills Viaduct over Mill Creek Valley with a new structure that will connect to a redesigned interchange I-75.
- The Appalachian Hydrogen Hub in Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, has been awarded up to $925 million by the Department of Energy to reduce CO2 emissions by 9 million metric tons per year.
Infrastructure
A full breakdown of funding coming to Ohio from Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes 488 projects, for a total of $11.9 billion.
- $8.6 billion for transportation, including $7 billion for roads, $896.9 million for public transit, $171.5 million for airports, and $41.2 million for ports and waterways
- $1.5 billion for high-speed internet
- $886.8 million for clean water, including $238.2 million to replace toxic lead pipes
- $187.9 million for clean transportation, including $110 million for EV chargers, $71.4 million for clean transit buses, and $6.5 million for clean school buses
- $186.8 million to clean up legacy pollution
- $183.7 million for resilience, which is said to strengthen community readiness for climate impacts and other threats
Clean energy and climate
Under the Biden Administration, $42.8 billion in commitments have been announced by private companies to invest in modern industries, including:
- $961 million for clean power projects, including solar, wind, and batteries.
- $1.4 billion for clean energy manufacturing.
$1.2 billion in public funding has also been announced for grants, rebates, and other initiatives for the deployment of clean energy, clean buildings, and clean manufacturing. Those funds are not inclusive to the clean energy tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Lowering costs
The fact sheet also included ways in which costs have been lowered in certain areas under Biden.
- $249 million in home energy rebates to cut energy costs by weatherizing homes and replacing old appliances with more efficient models
- Because of the new $2,000 yearly cap on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs, a $35 monthly cap per insulin prescription, free vaccines, inflation rebates, and a drug price negotiation program, the fact sheet claims 2.5 million seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries will save money
- 478,000 individuals in Ohio signed up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces during the Open Enrollment Period for 2023 and will benefit from savings of about $800 per year from lower health care premiums