With demand for electricity and other utility access growing, particularly as a result of data center expansion, the Trump Administration is looking for new ways to facilitate that build out along highway rights of way, landing on an approach not entirely dissimilar from Biden-era policy objectives.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a Request for Information on what they’ve named America’s Great Corridors of Commerce. The RFI and associated USDOT materials on the initiative describe a vision of “multi-industry P3s [that] promote broader use of the transportation ROW to generate commercial and public benefits.”
The intent seemingly is to appeal to both State DOTs and other ROW asset owners, as well as utilities and private sector concessionaires. Much of the benefit would presumably be provided in the form of technical assistance—the USDOT materials highlight that they’ll offer corridor owners support from an interagency Federal task force “aimed at marshaling Federal resources and relevant permitting agencies and authorities to expedite and scale colocation in AGCC corridors.”
