WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said a new initiative he entitled ‘America’s Great Corridors of Commerce’ will lower costs for American families, supercharge American manufacturing, and streamline federal permitting
Duffy announced the plan, and touted it as “a first-of-its-kind, voluntary nationwide opportunity to transform highway and rail corridors into multi-use arteries for transmission wires, fiber optic lines, water pipelines, and other vital utilities.”
A U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) news release stated that the reasons expanding energy and telecommunications capacity are needed is to:
Ensure more American families have access to affordable energy
Help high-tech manufacturers build factories of the future
Slash never-ending permitting timelines
Create a new revenue stream for infrastructure repair and maintenance
“By leveraging public-private partnerships, AGCC will facilitate the rapid build-out of this critical infrastructure at no additional cost to the taxpayer and no impact to the safety of existing transportation assets,” DOT said.
How will AGCC work?
USDOT says the initiative will give State Departments of Transportation and railroads the ability to lease “rights-of-way,” meaning that the land running alongside roads, tracks or shared space utility tunnels.
Duffy suggests that these “rights-of-way owners can partner with private sector ‘corridor managers’ can oversee design, development, operation, and maintenance along these routes.
“Using existing transportation land instead of acquiring new private property reduces project costs and can leverage categorical environmental exemptions to bypass lengthy reviews,” DOT said. “Revenues generated from utility leases will fund repairs and upgrades for the roads, bridges, tunnels, and railroads along the corridor.”
“America has always been at the bleeding edge of innovation. But we will lose the race to develop the technologies of the future if we cannot lower costs and get the government out of the way,” Duffy said “By working with the private sector to combine our existing transportation network with transmission lines, fiber optic cables, and other critical infrastructure, we can make energy more affordable and fuel American industry for generations to come. Under President Trump, we will continue to slash red tape, stop the endless delays, and reverse skyrocketing project costs to get America building again.”
“AGCC is a voluntary program that is all about providing new, efficient, and effective choices to those looking for innovative solutions to build smarter and better integrated corridors,” said Build America Bureau Executive Director Morteza Farajian. “America can’t wait decades for modern utility and transportation infrastructure. By leveraging our existing transportation rights-of-way and bringing in private sector partners, we are charting an innovative path forward for a new age of infrastructure delivery established on strong partnerships, aligned interests, cutting through red tape and bureaucracy, collaboration, and efficiency.”
Why is the AGCC needed?
That question was answered by a quick reference to China.
“China has built more high-voltage transmission lines in the last 15 years than the United States has in its entire history – powering its rapid growth in advanced manufacturing and AI technology,” DOT said. “While new power plants are coming online in America, transporting affordable energy to growing communities and manufacturing hubs is constrained by the nation’s severe lack of transmission grid capacity. Accelerating new transmission projects will ensure the United States can meet its growing energy demands.”
DOT says a similar challenge exists with fiber optic cables, “which are essential to semiconductor production, hyperscalers, smart transportation systems, and other technologies of the future.”
“With demand for fiber expected to double by 2029, the United States must find opportunities to speed up deployment,” DOT added.
The initiative will also help address a multi-trillion-dollar backlog of upgrades for existing transportation infrastructure – ensuring roads, tunnels, bridges, and rail lines can leverage private capital to stay online.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
