The Economic Development, Transportation and Cultural Affairs Committee of the Southern Legislative Conference recently conducted a webinar entitled "States Act to Bolster Transportation Funding: Lessons from the South."  Webinar participants heard from Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia on recent measures initiated in these SLC states to advance transportation and infrastructure development efforts. Against the backdrop of inertia at the federal level, dozens of states across the country have introduced, and sometimes enacted, reform measures to adequately fund their transportation and infrastructure networks. Given that adequate and ongoing infrastructure investments are critical for economic growth, state policymakers, particularly those in the SLC states, are moving proactively to devise funding mechanisms for these programs.

Natural and manmade disasters wreak incredible amounts of destruction on our nation’s energy and electric infrastructure. Recent events like Hurricane Sandy impacted over 20 states and caused over $20 billion in insured losses and left millions without power for several days.  State policymakers can learn from these tragic and terrible events and find ways to improve the resiliency and strength of their electric grid infrastructure with strategic all-hazards planning and implementing new technological benefits provided by SmartGrid technologies. On Wednesday, June 12, CSG’s webinar "Storm Recovery—Building Stronger, Smarter Electrical Grids" featured two prominent grid modernization experts who shared their expertise and perspective on proactive steps states can take to improve the hardening and redundancy of energy infrastructure.