randerson

About Rich Anderson

Rich Anderson is the Managing Director of the Mayors Water Council.

$144.6 Billion All-Time High Local Spending on Water and Sewer Utilities in 2020 – CARES Act Fiscal Stimulus Makes an Impact

The United States Conference of Mayors Water Council tracks aggregate public expenditures and revenues of local water and sewer systems and the latest Census data reported for 2020 estimates local spending at $144.6 billion. This is not only an all-time annual high in spending but also demonstrates higher than expected infrastructure investment in the first

By |2022-12-12T18:55:33-05:00December 12, 2022|Environment, Mayors Water Council|

Accelerating Carbon Emission Reductions

Local Actions are Required to Effectively Address the 68% of Annual Carbon Emissions that Come from the Buildings and Transportation Sectors Want to know where America is in the Clean Energy Transition? Looking at how the utility scale electric power sector is switching technologies and fuels to low- and no-carbon sources indicates the transition

By |2021-02-12T16:20:01-05:00February 12, 2021|Energy|

Historic Levels of Local Utility Spending and Revenues Reported for 2018

An analysis of recently released 2018 Census estimates of local government spending for municipal water and sewer utilities indicates an historic high annual investment of $130 billion. 2018 spending continued the decade-long slow growth at 3.6% compared to a long-term average annual growth of 4.4%. Revenues grew 6%, exceeding the long-term average of 5.5%. Cumulative

By |2020-10-05T12:55:44-04:00October 5, 2020|Mayors Water Council|

National Economic Recession Shatters Local Ability to Invest in Utility Infrastructure

What Happened: The United States Conference of Mayors just released research findings indicating the Great Recession (December 2007-June 2009) caused municipal water and sewer utilities to pare budgets, shift resources to continue service for public health protection, and ultimately stifle up to $105 billion in utility infrastructure investment over more than a decade. Utilities

By |2020-08-21T16:41:37-04:00August 20, 2020|Mayors Water Council|

City Water and Sewer Utilities Face Losing a Generation of Needed Infrastructure Investments

A review of city utility spending in the pre- and post-Great Recession sheds light on what happens when national economic disruptions occur. This information might be helpful in anticipating impacts from the covid-19 recession. The Great Recession impacted utilities forcing them to tighten budgets in anticipation of high unemployment rates and reduced or lost revenues.

By |2020-07-29T12:41:44-04:00July 29, 2020|Mayors Water Council|

Mayors Discuss the Benefits of Micro Grids and Energy Storage Systems at the 88th USCM Winter Meeting

Public acceptance of and demand for renewable energy has made possible non-traditional energy generation and distribution models that further efficiency, diversity and carbon emission reduction preferences of the modern consumer. The hybrid model, for example, might be a mix of solar, wind and battery storage to guarantee reliable electric supply during intermittency periods. Energy Committee

By |2020-02-14T19:27:24-05:00February 3, 2020|Energy|

Piscataway (NJ) Mayor Brian Wahler Touts Energy Block Grant Renewal at House Infrastructure Hearing

Energy and Commerce Committee Poised to Act on Its Parts of an Infrastructure Package Left to Right: Mayor Brian Wahler,Piscataway Township (NJ);Representative Frank Pallone (NJ- District 6), Chair, House Energy and Commerce Committee. Amid mixed signals on the fate of an agreement between the White House and Congress on an infrastructure plan the

By |2019-06-06T12:22:51-04:00June 6, 2019|Energy, Updates|

Integrated Planning Legislation Adopted by Congress

Cities Facing Costly Clean Water Act Mandates Can Use New Tool - May Bring Financial Relief! Congress passed the Integrated Planning bill in late 2018 legislative action; and, it potentially will have a direct financial impact on nearly every person who uses tap water, toilets, showers and other uses that end up in the sewer and wastewater treatment

By |2019-01-08T15:56:13-05:00January 8, 2019|Mayors Water Council|

Renewable Energy Transition – Measuring Progress

The Conference of Mayors adopted clean air policies in 2017 and 2018 to support cities transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy and success depends on developing enough renewable power production capacity and renewable energy generation. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that renewables provided 17% of electricity generation in 2016: 20% from nuclear and 63%

By |2018-12-03T12:23:20-05:00December 3, 2018|Energy|

Local Government Investment in Public Water and Sewer Hits a Record $123.7 Billion in 2016

Long-term infrastructure investment commitment to clean water and sewer/stormwater management tops $1.99 Trillion from 1993 to 2016 By Rich Anderson Public spending on water and sewer/stormwater management continues to set new nominal dollar highs according to recently released local government Census data for 2016. Overall there was a 4 percent increase in spending from 2015

By |2018-10-23T19:55:46-04:00October 23, 2018|Mayors Water Council, News|

City Resiliency Planning Takes Data Analytic Turn. Will It Make a Difference?

The parade of natural disasters in 2017, once again, proved that cities, with their expanding infrastructure and growing populations, continue to be vulnerable to acute impacts from drought, earthquakes, flooding, land subsidence, coastal hazards, and wildfire. Separately, any one of these natural forces can have a devastating impact on life, private property, city infrastructure, and

By |2018-02-05T11:26:39-05:00February 5, 2018|Environment, Mayors Water Council, News, Updates|

Local Government Investment in Water and Sewer, 2000-2015

What investments will be needed to rebuild our national water and sewer infrastructure and provide services to a growing and shifting population and an expanding economy? By Richard F. Anderson, Ph.D. Introduction Will a new national infrastructure policy help or hurt city water and sewer services? What is the role of the Federal Government in

By |2018-01-17T16:30:27-05:00January 10, 2018|Environment, Mayors Water Council, Updates|

City of Aurora – A Metro Growth Magnet Builds Its Water Future through Strategic Investment, Innovation and Hard Work

By: Rich Anderson Mayor Hogan The City of Aurora (CO) joins with Denver and Lakewood to form one of 381 Metropolitan Regions in the United States. Aurora’s is a major contributor to the metro economy. The US economy added 2.3 million jobs in 2016; and Metro areas generated over 2 million, accounting for

By |2017-08-28T23:40:18-04:00August 28, 2017|News, Press Room|

Mayors Implement Coastal High Hazard and Flooding Resilience Through Strategic Investments and Risk Analysis

Above l. to r.: Brian Gackstatter, CH2M; Vincent Sapienza, Commissioner, NYC Department of Environmental Protection; Mayor Jill Techel, Mayor of Napa and Co-Chair of the Mayors Water Council; Efrain Rodriguez, Regional Director, Severn Trent Services; Moira Mcdonald, Walton Family Foundation; Ryan Berni, Deputy Mayor of New Orleans; Patrick Schultz, General Manager, Resource Optimization, Veolia

By |2017-07-26T15:33:19-04:00July 26, 2017|News|

Extraordinary Measures Taken to Diversify Sustainable Water Supplies in Western Cities

  The Mayors Water Council convened their spring 2017 meeting in Santa Barbara, hosted by Mayor Helene Schneider on April 13-14, 2017. Mayor and Water Council Co-Chair Jill Techel led a diverse group of mayors, local and state elected officials and their representatives, staff from regional water control districts and national experts from industry in

By |2017-05-08T13:52:47-04:00May 8, 2017|Environment, Mayors Water Council, Updates|
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