Wyoming poised to pursue federal Infrastructure Act money

The State of Wyoming is preparing for a deluge of federal money from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The bill will send $1.2 trillion out to more than 375 federal programs, Gov Mark Gordon (R-WY)’s senior advisor Rob Creager said. Forty percent of that money will be distributed via competitive grants, Creager said. The legislative allocation included $100 million for infrastructure matches related to energy projects; $75 million for infrastructure program matches in general, with the caveat that the state match can’t exceed 25 percent of the entire grant; $10 million for wildlife crossing matches; and $25 million for broadband matches, Creager said. That last allocation is “really crucial,” he said, since notices for broadband funding opportunities are expected to come out next week – and “there’s a lot of money” available in that area. Combining funding totals from the Infrastructure Act and the American Rescue Plan Act, Creager said “we’re looking at upwards of $400 million in broadband infrastructure over the next four years, which is a very substantial amount.” His team has been working with federal officials to help them understand that it will cost more money to provide broadband infrastructure in rural states like Wyoming.