Water connects every part of our economy—powering industries, protecting communities, and sustaining life itself. Yet as costs rise, infrastructure ages, industry expands, and climate risks intensify, the true value of water is being tested. Utilities are being asked to solve for a fundamentally new challenge: how to deliver resilient and affordable services in an era defined by extremes. Across the sector, new research is shedding light on the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of what it will take. This includes funding, smarter strategies, modern tools, and sound policy to ensure investments deliver for people, resilience, and long-term prosperity.

Learn insights from Water Environment Federation’s valuation of the circular water economy, and Xylem’s work on climate resilience, investment strategy, and AI. The discussion will also include updates on the Value of Water Campaign’s investment and economy findings, and together, will tell a powerful story about why this moment matters for water, and how our leaders can respond.

Register.

Across North Carolina, cities and towns are navigating growing pressures, from flooding and extreme weather to aging infrastructure, rapid growth, and rising costs.

Twin Talks North Carolina brings state and local infrastructure leaders together for a practical, forward-looking discussion on how municipalities can move beyond reactive fixes toward smarter infrastructure systems. The focus is not just on assets, but on the planning, policies, empowerment and technologies that shape how infrastructure performs over time.

This event also marks the official launch of Built to Endure, a new national policy paper developed by Duke University with Bentley Systems, ASCE, AECOM, and Microsoft.

Representatives from General Motors, Tesla, Ford Motor Co., and Stellantis will testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The hearing will be streamed on YouTube.

Businesses are ready to invest, innovate, and build — but our broken permitting process stands in the way. It’s time for Congress to come together and pass bipartisan, comprehensive permitting reform — so America can meet rising energy demand, build resilient infrastructure, and unleash innovation.

Join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for a full day of programming and advocacy on the Hill.

Reserve a spot.

Drinking water and wastewater infrastructure will be showcased as a part of ASCE's Making the Grade Webinar Series.

Following the release of the 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure, the webinar will explore issues and solutions for both drinking water and wastewater across key criteria including funding, resilience, and capacity. The event features an overview of the both chapters and provides rationale for the grades. Additionally, panelists will discuss on-the-ground experiences linking the report to the work of practitioners.

Panelists featured in this discussion include:

• Celine Hyer, Water Conveyance Practice Leader, Senior Vice President, ARCADIS

• Sunil Sinha, Professor & Director, Sustainable Water Infrastructure Management Center, Virginia Tech

• Samir Mathur, Water Reclamation Practice Leader, CDM Smith

• Lita Laven, Manager of Plant Design, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

If you have any questions please contact Forest Putnam, fputnam@asce.org. 

Register.

Join US Water Alliance for a briefing about the importance of water infrastructure funding and financing programs to communities across the country and the part they play in improving water quality, protecting public health, and maintaining affordability.

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There is mounting bipartisan momentum behind modernizing federal permitting rules to speed up approvals for critical infrastructure projects. Permitting processes can be complex and time-consuming, delaying building and hindering U.S. competitiveness in booming industries like energy and technology.

Join Axios Live for an event exploring the next phase of permitting reform on Capitol Hill. They will look at the latest proposed policies and how streamlining permitting could impact America’s economic growth. Axios energy and climate editor Chuck McCutcheon and business reporter Nathan Bomey will host one-on-one conversations with:

• Brendan Bechtel, Chairman and CEO, Bechtel, and Chair, Business Roundtable Smart Regulation Committee

• The Honorable Julie Fedorchak, Representative At-Large, North Dakota Member, House Energy and Commerce Committee

• The Honorable Brian Schatz, Senator, Hawai'i Vice Chair, Senate Indian Affairs Committee Member, Senate Appropriations, Commerce, Foreign Relations & Ethics Committees

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Counties are at the forefront of delivering essential services—from public health and safety to transportation and education. Yet many local governments are constrained by outdated digital infrastructure, siloed legacy systems, and growing security risks.

This webinar—designed for county executives, CIOs/CTOs, and operations leaders—explores practical approaches to modernizing networks, integrating cloud and on‑premises platforms, and protecting sensitive citizen data. You’ll discover actionable strategies and real‑world solutions, that enable operational agility, resilience, and compliance.

Learn how future‑ready infrastructure can position your county to lead in smart government initiatives and prepare for emerging capabilities like AI, digital twins, and next‑generation applications.

Register now to learn how your county can deliver faster, safer, and more coordinated citizen services—today and tomorrow.

Join ASCE, Autodesk and Mott MacDonald for a conversation about how technology is transforming the way we plan, design, and deliver infrastructure. Our speakers will explore how digital solutions—like AI, cloud collaboration, and connected data environments—are streamlining project information, improving decision-making, and enabling more resilient, future-ready infrastructure.

The 2025 ASCE Report Card highlights both progress and persistent challenges, from aging systems and the impacts of climate change to a $3.7 trillion funding gap. As demand for new projects grows and the pressure to do more with less continues to rise, the ability to harness better information and break down project silos is more critical than ever.

Speakers to include:

• Marsha Anderson Bomar, Ph.D., ASCE President

• Amy Bunszel, EVP of Architecture, Engineering and Construction Solutions, Autodesk

• Thomas W. Smith III, Executive Director, ASCE

• Jay Mezher, AIA, Vice President of Digital Delivery, Mott MacDonald

Whether you’re an engineer, policymaker, owner, or technology leader, this webinar will help you build smarter, more resilient infrastructure with better information.

Register today and be part of the conversation shaping the future of America’s infrastructure.

This informational webinar, hosted by Climate Mayors, C40 Cities, and Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN), will focus on sustainable transportation opportunities for cities in the 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill.

Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to engage in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization process, participate in a two-way discussion with experts pertaining to policy gaps that cities are looking to fill, and learn how federal transportation legislation can enable cities to build cleaner, more efficient transportation systems.

This session will cover:

• An overview of the Surface Transportation Reauthorization process 

• Key provisions and considerations in the upcoming Surface Transportation Reauthorization bill

• What the windows of influence are during the Reauthorization process for cities to elevate their funding needs for city-level sustainable transportation projects

Register.

Hosted by Ideas SF, this discussion will showcase how collaborative models between government, business, and the nonprofit sector can unlock resources and expertise to address pressing urban challenges. Speakers will share real-world examples of partnerships that have driven economic revitalization, expanded public services, and spurred innovative infrastructure projects. The discussion will explore both the opportunities and the complexities of building effective cross-sector alliances in rapidly changing cities.

SPEAKERS

David Stiepleman, Chair Downtown Development Corporation

Leigh Lutenski, Director of Joint Development, City of San Francisco

Manny Yuketiel, Owner of Manny’s

Moderated by Adam Lashinsky, Editor-at-Large, SF Standard

Register.

City & State is proud to present our annual Energy Infrastructure Summit convening government leaders, industry executives, utility providers, investors, and infrastructure experts to shape the future of New York’s energy systems.

This event will address critical challenges and emerging opportunities in modernizing and expanding energy infrastructure to meet the state's climate, resilience, and economic development goals.

More details.

‘Improving Passenger Rail In The Empire Corridor' is a one-day symposium designed to bring together business and community leaders, government representatives, tourism and hospitality industry members, rail industry suppliers and rail advocates to learn about New York State’s passenger rail improvement initiatives and what accelerated implementation could do for Upstate New York.

The event will feature insightful speakers, presentations and panel discussions focused on building a broad-based consensus that investing in higher-speed passenger rail can be an economic driver upstate and a viable solution for the future transportation needs of the state. The symposium will provide a crucial opportunity for participants to learn, network and share.

Confirmed Speakers:

• Assemblyman William Magnarelli (129th Assembly District) - Chair - NYS Assembly Transportation Committee

• Senator Rachel May (48th Senate District)

• Lucas Peilert - Siemens Mobility USA

• Jason Orthner - Director - North Carolina DOT Rail Division

More details.

Accelerator for America Action will be hosting a rapid response webinar at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 13, with leaders in Mecklenburg County who passed the historic transportation ballot measure. Following years of organizing and positioning, Mecklenburg County voters passed a transportation referendum that will generate $19.4 billion in dedicated funding to reduce congestion and make the region safer and more accessible. The webinar will feature: 

• Mayor Vi Lyles of Charlotte

• Robert McCutcheon, President and CEO, Charlotte Regional Business Alliance

• Jordan Shaw, Campaign Manager, Yes for Meck

• Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, President and CEO, AFAA

Register.

The Spain-U.S. Chamber of Commerce is proud to present the 3rd edition of the Infrastructure Summit, a premier gathering that convenes industry leaders, government officials, investors, and experts in urban and territorial development.

The 2025 Summit will address the most pressing infrastructure trends in the United States, including the expansion of smart mobility systems, the rise of AI-driven infrastructure monitoring, energy transition in transport and construction, and innovative financing models for large-scale urban projects. Attendees will explore how cities are adapting to new federal sustainability targets, how digitalization is reshaping planning and operations, and where transatlantic collaboration can unlock investment and innovation across the public and private sectors.

Learn more.

The U.S. has aging energy and grid infrastructure at a time when energy demand has never been higher. New projects can take years to build and generate electricity on the grid. Clean tech companies find it increasingly difficult to bridge the financing gap to scale to maturity.

The Wharton Energy & Climate Conference will look at how the energy and climate industry is adapting to become resilient to changing capital markets, policy changes, and consumer demands. Companies are fortifying physical infrastructure, developing fluency in navigating complex state, local, and federal policies, and building their capital stacks creatively.

Join C-Suite executives, startup founders, investors and leaders at the cutting edge of their fields. Through keynotes, panels, and both formal and informal conversations throughout the day, attendees will share industry best practices and success stories. The event will foster collaboration between the leaders at the forefront of the industry today and those who will shape the industry in the future.

Register.

With U.S. data center capacity projected to surge roughly 25–35% by 2026 - driven by AI and cloud demand - the need for credible, comparable performance metrics is urgent. This panel, hosted by the U.S. Green Building Council, brings together stakeholders from the digital infrastructure community to explore how applying green building certifications to data centers delivers transparent, verifiable performance on energy and water efficiency, carbon reduction, and sustainable material utilization. Speakers will share how certification builds community trust, streamlines approvals, and aligns with policy goals. Operators and tenants need standardized metrics to prove performance and avoid greenwashing, while reconciling uptime, density, and sustainability. Join us to see how public sector priorities and private sector innovation meet to provide credible, resilient, and truly sustainable digital infrastructure.

Learn more.

RESCHEDULED TO NOVEMBER 4: Join the U.S. Chamber for a Permit America to Build in-person Legislative Day of Action on Capitol Hill to urge Congress to pass bipartisan, comprehensive permitting reform. 

Attendees are invited to participate in the morning keynote briefings from leading voices in Congress, industry, and the administration on the current efforts to pass permitting reform legislation, as well as afternoon legislative office visits and other planned activities.

RSVP.

Moderated by Kirk Hovenkotter of Transportation Choices Coalition, this conversation will bring together leaders from across the transportation landscape to discuss topics like transit-oriented development (TOD), transportation demand management (TDM), road usage charging, freight mobility, and regional preparedness for large-scale events like the 2026 World Cup.

This event is ideal for professionals in urban planning, transportation policy, infrastructure development, sustainability, and public-private partnerships.

Reserve a spot.

The White House AI Action Plan issued July 23, 2025, aims to achieve United States dominance in artificial intelligence based on three pillars: “Accelerating innovation, building AI infrastructure, and leading in international diplomacy and security.” Along with executive orders to flesh out these goals, the plan includes steps for a coordinated effort by the U.S. government to promote “the export of full-stack American AI technology packages.” Meanwhile, other countries around the world are also seeking to develop their own AI capacities under the banner of “sovereign AI,” and efforts continue at the international level to strengthen cooperation on AI governance, including in the UN, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other global standards-setting bodies.

The Forum for Cooperation on AI at Brookings is hosting a discussion about the implications for the U.S. AI Action Plan, other countries’ efforts to develop sovereign AI, and opportunities for international cooperation. Experts will analyze U.S. government efforts to promote an American AI stack, the feasibility of sovereign AI in deeply interdependent digital ecosystems, the influence of open-source models, and more.

Register to watch.

Bentley Systems will bring together global leaders to explore how data and digital innovation are accelerating transformation across infrastructure sectors. The sessions will be available live both in person and virtually with recordings on-demand after the event.

Opening keynote: Shaping the Future of Infrastructure 

CEO Nicholas Cumins and CTO Julien Moutte will share Bentley’s strategic vision for empowering infrastructure professionals. Learn how AI, open data, and geospatial insights are reshaping project planning, delivery, and asset performance across the lifecycle. Some of the insights you can except to gain include:

• AI-driven workflows enhancing decision-making and productivity across the infrastructure lifecycle 

• Federated data and digital twins enabling transparency, collaboration, and value at scale

• Bentley’s 2026 vision for sustainable, intelligent systems built to adapt to global challenges

Panel spotlight: From Hype to Hope – The State of Infrastructure AI 

Pinsent Masons, in collaboration with Bentley, the Institute of Civil Engineers, Mott MacDonald, and Turner & Townsend examined the state of infrastructure AI. Hosted by Mark Coates, vice president of infrastructure policy advancement at Bentley, this session brings together leading voices to explore the findings of a global survey on AI adoption.

The panel will share insights on:

• The readiness of engineering and construction firms for AI

• Risks to AI adoption, including data privacy and security

• Where AI will make the biggest impact and generate the greatest return

Learn more and register.

Discover how to plug into the future efficiently and affordably. Join us for an informative webinar introducing NACo Public Promise Procurement's newest national contract for Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment and Services. Awarded to Lilypad EV by Lead Public Agency Broome County, New York, this contract offers streamlined access to cutting-edge EV infrastructure for counties and public agencies nationwide.

Register.