Infrastructure Sticker Shock: Financing Costs Exceed Construction

[marmar]

This piece first appeared at Web of Debt.

“The numbers are big. There is sticker shock,” said Jason Peltier, deputy manager of the Westlands Water District, describing Governor Jerry Brown’s plan to build two massive water tunnels through the California Delta. “But consider your other scenarios. How much more groundwater can we pump?”

Whether the tunnels are the best way to get water to the Delta is controversial, but the issue here is the cost. The tunnels were billed to voters as a $25 billion project. However, that estimate omitted interest and fees. Construction itself is estimated at a relatively modest $18 billion. But financing through bonds issued at 5% for 30 years adds $24-40 billion to the tab. Another $9 billion will go to wetlands restoration, monitoring and other costs, bringing the grand total to $51-67 billion – three or four times the cost of construction.

A general rule for government bonds is that they double the cost of projects, once interest has been paid.

The San Francisco Bay Bridge earthquake retrofit was originally slated to cost $6.3 billion, but that was just for salaries and physical materials. With interest and fees, the cost to taxpayers and toll-payers will be over $12 billion. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/infrastructure_sticker_shock_financing_costs_exceed_construction_20140601

[Scuba]

1. We will soon be prohibited from drinking water or breathing unless Wall Street makes money on it.

[xchrom]

2. du rec.

[Agschmid]

3. Kick and Rec, great read.