Infrastructure Investor: New York - PEI Media

The following are the results from a
recent survey by PEI Conferences. To
see the real-time results of this survey
and additional surveys, go to
www.peimedia.com/infrany09
At the Infrastructure Investor magazine launch
breakfast last week both former Florida Governor
Jeb Bush and Carl McCall of the New York State Asset
Maximization Commission agreed: Infrastructure
investors should for now focus more on developing
capacity via greenfield developments, as they are less
burdened with political issues. Do you agree?
No 45%
Yes
55%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Additional comments from respondents:
• Complete nonsense. We are losing valuable greenfield areas all over the world
at an astonishing rate while brownfields lie idle. It is the lack of will to resolve
political issues, which in most cases in quite easily done. The tools are there.
• The challenge will be how to convince investors to take the construction risk.
• A third choice would be best - “it depends”. Greenfield infrastructure projects
typically require government cooperation in ways that can’t be achieved
without some manner of government commitment to these projects, even if
this is in the form of granted monopolies (regulated), concession agreements
or regulation (such as emission regulation). Each infrastructure project is
unique in certain aspects. So, the level of development activity appropriate for
infrastructure investors will depend on the level of government willingness to
create the appropriate structure for private greenfield projects.