State of Practice in Electrical Contracting and Infrastructure Opportunities in the United States

The United States (US) committed over $1.2 trillion to help strengthen the nation's infrastructure systems and networks. Nearly $450 billion of these funds are being invested in energy and electrification projects. Electrical contractors (ECs) are poised for exponential growth in areas such as energy, power, and electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, yet research is limited on strategies to engage in the expanding infrastructure market. The goal of the study is to investigate future opportunities for electrical contractors from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This study reaches several conclusions using factors such as region, project size, and industry/market. Nearly $197.5 billion has been awarded across all 50 states and accounts for 15,691 projects. The analysis of the IIJA-funded projects revealed that broadband, clean energy and power, and EVs are directly relatable to ECs. The funding approved for these projects is approximately 8% of the total funding. There are 10,740 projects smaller than $2 million, which makes up nearly 68% of the total number of projects that were funded in the spending bill. The South is experiencing a surge in large-scale battery projects. Meanwhile, the West Coast is leading the charge in both renewable energy and EV infrastructure projects.