Report: US, Texas Rank First In Index Assessing Infrastructure Project Investment

By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square

The Center Square – Site Selection Magazine ranked the United States and Texas first in national and state infrastructure investment categories cited in its third annual Global Groundwork Index, published in the September 2020 issue.

The United States, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates lead the way globally; Texas and Louisiana led the states, for their “powerful blend of infrastructure project investment and corporate facility investment over the past several years.”

“The Global Groundwork Index identifies where billions of dollars in corporate facility activity intersect with billions of dollars in roads, bridges, airports, tunnels, pipelines, utilities, railroads and other major infrastructure projects to lay the literal groundwork for prosperity,” Adam Bruns, managing editor of Site Selection, said in a statement.

Site Selection magazine, published by Conway Data Inc., delivers expansion planning information to 47,000 executives of fast-growing firms.

The company’s president, Norman Anderson, argues that while COVID-19 has disrupted the infrastructure market, “We believe that, both globally and in the U.S., this is a glass-half-full moment; … an opportunity to rethink the infrastructure investment model, creating a new perspective, new tools and new sources of funding through which to channel investment into projects.”

The top 10 countries listed by the Global Groundwork Index for having combined infrastructure and corporate end-user project investment strength are the U.S., followed by Canada, UAE, Australia, U.K., Bahrain, Costa Rica, Singapore, Mexico, and Ireland.

The top 10 U.S. states are Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

Texas has more miles of public roads (313,220) and freight rail (10,539) than any other state in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas handles roughly $2 trillion worth of commodities every year and has been the nation’s top exporter for 18 consecutive years.

The Port of Houston is the second-largest in the U.S., surpassing Rotterdam as the world’s largest petrochemical complex, CNBC reported.

According to a 2018 CNBC America’s Top States for Business study, “No state handles more of America’s cargo than Texas. In fact, no state comes close.”

Its 2018 Infrastructure report card score gave Texas an A+ grade.

However, according to a 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers Report Card on Texas’ Infrastructure, Texas received a C- grade – a drop from its 2012 C grade. The review found that “Texas’ infrastructure lacks funding, proper maintenance, and is poorly equipped to deal with environmental change as Texas continues to grow.”

The grade indicates a below-average condition in many infrastructure categories including dams, drinking water, flood control, roads and highways, and wastewater in Texas, which all received a poor “D+ or below” grade, the report states.

“While the overall grade of Texas’ infrastructure has not changed significantly since the previous report card, half of the categories received unsatisfactory grades,” it adds. “These categories, if left unchanged, will hinder the growth and competitiveness of the Texas economy.”