Transportation and Public Works Archives

Data Centers Will Continue to Drive High Energy Demand

A new federal report projects data centers are likely to drive high energy demand well into the 2050s. A new federal energy outlook underscores that data centers are becoming a major force in electricity planning. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), server-related energy use could account for as much as one-third of all commercial building electricity consumption by 2050 under a high-demand scenario. That grow is being driven in large part by artificial…

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May 26, 2026

Environment / Transportation and Public Works

EPA Puts Forward New Federal PFAS Mitigation Strategy

The EPA has recently put forward a new federal PFAS mitigation strategy, which focuses on tackling PFAS across its full lifecycle. Last week, leadership from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a new federal strategy to address PFAS contamination nationwide. The effort focuses on the full PFAS lifecycle and is backed by nearly $1 billion in new funding for states to address PFAS in…

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May 26, 2026

County Budgets / News You Can Use / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works

New Report Confirms What Counties Already Know: The Next Infrastructure Problem Is Already Here

A new national report suggests local governments may face another long-term fiscal challenge that rarely appears in budget headlines: the growing cost of replacing aging public assets already in service. A recent analysis from Merritt Research Services estimates that US cities carry more than $1 trillion in infrastructure and capital asset obligations tied to aging roads, buildings, equipment, and other public assets. The report attempts to measure the replacement cost of assets that continue operating…

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May 26, 2026

Energy / Environment / Transportation and Public Works

Emergency Order Highlights Grid Pressure From Data Center Growth

DoE emergency order allowing PJM to curtail power use at data centers underscores concerns over grid reliability in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic. The PJM received emergency approval from the U.S. Department of Energy to temporarily reduce power use at data centers and other large energy users with backup generation during a stretch of hot weather across the Mid-Atlantic. The request came as the grid operator faced higher demand, planned spring maintenance outages, and tighter-than-usual reserve…

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May 20, 2026

Housing and Community Development / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Construction Materials Up Over 6% Since January

A new report from the Association of Builders & Contractors shows prices have increased 6.2 percent from January to April. Construction materials costs jumped sharply in April, adding another pressure point for builders, developers, and public infrastructure projects. According to Associated Builders and Contractors’ analysis of federal Producer Price Index data, overall construction input prices rose 1.7% from March to April and are now up 6.2% since January, with nonresidential construction inputs rising even faster…

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May 19, 2026

County Budgets / Economic Development / Environment / Intergovernmental Relations / Risk Management / Transportation and Public Works

EPA Announces Funding for Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure Projects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced new funding to support sewer overflow and stormwater management projects across the Mid-Atlantic, including funding available to Maryland communities. The funding comes through the Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program, which provides resources to help local governments upgrade infrastructure and reduce pollution entering local waterways. Of the approximately $80 million made available nationwide, about $14.8 million is allocated across the Mid-Atlantic region, including Maryland. Maryland…

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May 5, 2026

Energy / Environment / Planning and Zoning / Transportation and Public Works

Virginia Energy Legislation Could Offer Lessons for Maryland

Virginia's SB621 requires utilities to use grid utilization metrics to more effectively manage grid loads, reduce energy losses. As electricity demand grows from data centers, electrification, economic development, and extreme weather, policymakers are looking for ways to get more out of the electric grid that already exists. One emerging focus is “grid utilization,” or better measuring how much existing transmission capacity is actually being used before assuming new infrastructure is the only answer. Virginia is…

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May 4, 2026

County Budgets / County News / Economic Development / General Assembly News / Intergovernmental Relations / State Budget and Fiscal Issues / Transportation and Public Works

News or Noise? Breaking Down Maryland’s 2026 Session

This week on the Conduit Street Podcast, longtime hosts Kevin Kinnally and Michael Sanderson are "back in the saddle" with a post-session "news or noise" breakdown of what really mattered, and what didn't, from Maryland's 2026 legislative session. Tune in to the Conduit Street Podcast weekly, wherever you get your podcasts! Subscribe to the Conduit Street Blog and stay in the know!

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May 1, 2026

Environment / Transportation and Public Works

AG Brown, MDE File Suit Against DC Water Over Potomac Spill

Maryland is suing DC Water over the Potomac River sewage spill earlier this year. Maryland’s Attorney General and the Maryland Department of the Environment have taken DC Water to court over the January collapse of a major sewer line in Montgomery County, arguing that the failure caused a massive sewage release into the Potomac River and nearby tributaries. According to the state, the rupture involved a 72-inch section of the Potomac Interceptor near the C&O…

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April 22, 2026

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2026 Session: Recap and Wrap-Ups

Catch up on all of the latest outcomes of the 2026 Maryland General Assembly session with wrap-ups on important county-related bills in each policy area. Maryland’s 448th legislative session unfolded under significant fiscal pressure. Lawmakers closed the fiscal 2027 gap, preserved reserves, and fully funded principal commitments, such as the Blueprint, but did not resolve the larger structural deficits projected for the years ahead. That budget pressure shaped debates across nearly every policy area, from…

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April 17, 2026