RYE BROOK, NY, May 7, 2015 -- Today, the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) announced the establishment of a new Executive Council on Infrastructure that aims to identify measures to encourage private investment in infrastructure and promote economic growth. As America contends with the growing need to build and maintain critical infrastructure -- particularly relating to water and wastewater -- and the lack of government funding to do it, the BPC is convening top executives from the nation's leading companies to explore ways to bridge that gap.
The Council is convening corporate CEOs and other executives representing a range of industries, including leaders from Xylem Inc., McGraw Hill Financial, American Water, FedEx Freight, KPMG, Meridiam, CalSTRS, American Air Liquide Holdings, and Siebert Brandford Shank. It will be co-chaired by Douglas Peterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of McGraw Hill Financial; and Susan Story, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Water and a BPC Board Member.
Xylem, a global water technology company, for example, has announced that it is joining the Council as a member company. Serving as a pure-play water company focused on solving challenging water issues, Xylem's involvement in the Council raises the profile of the urgent needs for investment in critical water infrastructure across the country. Infrastructure is a national problem whose solutions must have a local focus if they are to succeed, which is why this Council draws on voices from around the country.
The Council will hold several public and private meetings over the next year as it develops recommendations designed to bring additional private sector investment into infrastructure. BPC will assist in the Council's work, culminating with the release of a white paper in the first half of 2016. The Council plans to consult with a range of infrastructure stakeholders, including engineering and construction firms, labor organizations, manufacturers, suppliers, users, and financing experts.
It will also explore measures that aim to improve the transparency, standardization and accuracy of project information and assess the potential for infrastructure to become a tradable asset, like stocks or bonds. In addition, it hopes to identify current legal and regulatory barriers to private investment and explore ways to address them.
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