Engineering Inc. - March/April 2016 - (Page 6)

Legislative Action House Committee Approves FAA Reauthorization Bill; ACEC Secures Airport Funding Increase JEFF HUNTER/THINKSTOCK T he House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved the Aviation Innovation, Reform, and Reauthorization Act, its legislative proposal for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) programs and funding. ACEC secured increased investments in the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) fund and will seek to raise the cap on Passenger Facility Charges (PFCs) collected by airports. Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) has highlighted FAA operational reform as a top priority. The bill would remove air traffic control functions out of the FAA and create an independent, federally chartered nonprofit corporation to operate and modernize the air traffic control system. The complex and controversial proposal would be funded through aviation user fees and governed by a separate board. "This bill will establish a stable, self-sustaining and fair user-fee funding structure for air traffic control, removed from the budget process and the annual appropriations cycle, and free from the funding uncertainty, political meddling and bureaucratic red tape that have plagued FAA and ATC services for years," explained Chairman Shuster at a committee hearing on the bill. The bill increases AIP funding from $3.6 billion in F.Y. 2017 to $4 billion in F.Y. 2022. ACEC will seek to raise the cap on PFCs to enable airports to raise additional revenues to support improvements. The current $4.50 per segment cap on PFCs has not been increased since 2001. The Council is also backing an amendment to require airports to follow a qualifications-based selection process on all airport projects funded with AIP funds or PFCs. In a letter to committee leaders, ACEC and other stakeholder organizations urged lawmakers to make needed airport infrastructure upgrades a stronger focus of the bill. "Aviation infrastructure improvements must go hand in hand with operational enhancements to deliver maximum benefit for air travelers and the U.S. economy," the groups wrote. The current extension of FAA programs and funding expires on March 31. Another short-term measure is expected as Congress continues to debate a long-term proposal. Senate Takes Up Comprehensive Energy Package T RUSLAN117/THINKSTOCK he Senate began consideration of the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016 in February, with the goal of sending a comprehensive energy bill that President Obama will sign. The act includes a number of provisions advocated by ACEC, including establishing an interagency coordinating committee to focus on the "energywater nexus," with the goal of identifying sustainability best practices. To expand and protect the power grid, the measure includes ACECbacked provisions to enhance the authority of the Energy Secretary 6 ENGINEERING INC. MARCH / APRIL 2016 to protect against cyberthreats and develop new models of electricity storage, distributed generation and micro-grids. The measure also expedites exports of liquid natural gas (LNG) through a streamlined permitting process. The act emphasizes expanding renewable energy sources and efficiency programs, including adding hydropower to the list of renewable energy sources and supporting the development of geothermal energy sources. The House passed its version of the bill late last year. Leaders in both chambers say they hope to produce a bipartisan bill this year.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - March/April 2016

Engineering Inc. - March/april 2016
Contents
From ACEC to You
Market Watch
Legislative Action
Congressman Fred Upton
Public vs. Private Clients
Navigating the P3 Landscape
One Person, One Hour at a Time
Million-Dollar Clout
2016 Annual Convention Preview
Mergers and Acquisitions
Members in the News
Business Insights

Engineering Inc. - March/April 2016