In today’s episode we will focus on the state of public infrastructure in the United States of America.

Every four years, the American Society of Civil Engineers releases what’s been called “the nation’s most important report you’ve probably never heard of” - the Report Card for America’s Infrastructure.

Using a simple A–F grading scale, it assesses the state of everything from roads, bridges, and railways to water systems, schools, broadband, and energy grids.

And this year’s Report Card gives U.S. infrastructure an overall grade of C highlighting a mix of hard-won progress - and mounting risk.

So what does that actually mean on the ground Well to help us break it all down, I’m joined by Tom Smith, Executive Director of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and one of the country’s most respected voices on infrastructure strategy, resilience, and investment.

Tom gives a great insight into why this year’s report card matters, what it reveals about how we build and maintain critical systems, and what it’ll take to move from crisis response to long-term planning.

And in particular explains what it means for everyday Americans.

Resources

• ASCE Report Card 2025
• ASCE website
• ASCE "Cities of the Future" film
• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)
• Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
• Bentley Systems' Transforming Infrastructure Performance New York summit
• Renewable Natural Resources Foundation
• ICE State of the Nation report card

In today's podcast we’re going to explore the UK government's latest announcement to invest vast sums of public cash in the nuclear industry.

The latest spending review included £14.2bn to kickstart the Sizewell C plant and £2.5bn to underpin ongoing research into fusion technology. But crucially, it also outlined plans to pump £2.5bn into Small Modular Reactor development – something that I think is perhaps one of the most ambitious – and transformational announcements in the UK’s energy history.

And it’s this announcement that I really want to focus on today.

But it is also clear that after decades of hesitation, the UK government – through it’s public energy business Great British Nuclear part of GB Energy - has committed to a bold new era of nuclear power, And its backing it with public cash.

So what does this actually mean in practice?

• What is an SMR – and why is the government betting on them to power millions of homes and secure the nation’s energy future?
• How do these small, factory-built reactors compare to the large-scale nuclear power plants like Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C?
• And critically – can we really deliver this bold vision on time, on budget, and with the skilled workforce we need?

Well to unpack all of this – and help make sense of the opportunities and challenges ahead – I’m joined once again on the Infrastructure Podcast by Tim Stone, Non-Executive Director, Great British Nuclear and former chair of the Nuclear Industry Association, the body at the heart of this once-in-a-generation transformation and my go to mind for all things nuclear.

Resources

• Government press release on SMRs
• Rolls Royce SMR press release
• Government press release on Sizewell C
• Great British Energy - Nuclear
• Nuclear Industry Association release on nuclear investment

Today’s podcast is another special episode, this week recorded live in New York at the recent Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit hosted by Bentley Systems.

My guest is Aruna Miller, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland State, who I interviewed to open the summit with a discussion on her role in the recovery and rebuild of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge which catastrophically collapsed in March 2024 after the container ship Dhali collided with a pier while passing beneath.

In a matter of seconds, this vital transportation artery crumbled into the River, claiming the lives of six workers and bringing Baltimore’s economy to a standstill.

The collapse was a pivotal event with profound implications for Maryland State, raising many questions about the value of our infrastructure and the economic and social consequences of failure.

And as a civil engineer turned politician, the Lieutenant Governor clearly has a unique perspective on the challenge of recovering and rebuilding after this disaster.

I started by taking her back to the 26 March 2024 to talk us through the immediate response to the collapse.

Resources

• Transforming Infrastructure Performance Summit New York
• The Francis Scott Key Bridge rebuild
• Maryland State infrastructure priorities
• US Federal Government FSK Bridge response
• Bentley Systems Infrastructure Policy Advancement
• Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller
• ICE FSK question and answer