Buy Clean’s Impact on Federal Funding in Georgia

Federally funded construction projects that are taking place across Georgia must now adhere to the requirements of the Federal Buy Clean Executive Order. As a result, project sponsors, recipients, and project managers across the state will be seeking lower carbon building materials — including concrete — and will require environmental product declarations (EPDs) for all building materials.

Federal Funding in Georgia

There are several types of federal funding available for construction projects at state and local levels, including municipalities, tribal governments, counties, and others. Two of the largest funding tranches come from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program and the Federal-Aid Highway Program.

RAISE

In 2023, DOT committed $1.5 billion in grant funding through RAISE. RAISE grants help communities across Georgia to carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs. RAISE grants are typically awarded for planning and capital investments that support roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, or intermodal transportation. 

In 2022, the following projects in Georgia benefitted from RAISE awards:

1. Reimagine North Avenue 

The county of Athens-Clarke received $24.9 million to make street improvements along North Avenue from Downtown Athens. Ten bus stops along the corridor were upgraded to accommodate sidewalks and transit stops and traffic signals were upgraded with pedestrian signals, lighting, and wayfinding. The road was resurfaced with drainage improvements, and a shared use path was constructed. 

2. Five Points Transformation Phase 2 

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) received $25 million to rehabilitate the above-ground portions of the Five Points MARTA station by removing the aged station canopy, improving the bus bays, and revitalizing the station plaza/public space. 

3. Radium Springs Watershed Overview

The Department of Agriculture awarded $13 million to Radium Springs to reduce the impact of flooding through the Radium Springs Watershed project through the Natural Resources and Conservation Service. This project includes $4.5M for a new concrete trail and $3M for an outdoor amphitheater - both using concrete.

4. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport

The Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport received a nearly $40 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to widen, update and modernize the 40-year-old Concourse D. The project will increase capacity, improve ADA compliance, achieve LEED gold certification, and support over 500 construction jobs.

Federal-Aid Highway Program

Georgia expects to receive approximately $9.2 billion over five years in the Federal-Aid Highway Program for highways and bridges. The state government will administer these funds to projects that require lots of construction — and concrete — including:

• $3.6 billion for roads, bridges, roadway safety, and major projects
• $163 million for airport upgrades
• $68 million for ports and waterways

EPDs and Low Carbon Concrete:
A Competitive Advantage for Concrete Producers

Concrete producers that have Type III EPDs for their concrete products and who offer low carbon mix designs will have a competitive advantage when bidding on any project that receives federal funding.

How CarbonCure Helps

CarbonCure’s technologies introduce recycled CO₂ into fresh concrete to reduce its carbon footprint, without compromising performance. Once injected, the CO₂ undergoes a mineralization process and becomes permanently embedded in the concrete. This results in economic and sustainability benefits for concrete producers—truly a win-win.

If you’re interested in learning more about low carbon policies affecting concrete producers across North America, visit the dedicated policy section on our website. For more about how CarbonCure supports concrete producers to meet the growing demand for greener building materials, contact us.