EPA Air Permit Rule Would Cut Public Input on Data Center Generators
The EPA air permit rule could let data centers add backup generators without public input. A July 22 hearing and an August 21 comment deadline now loom.
Data Center Construction Spending Hits Four Times Last Year’s Record
Data center construction spending hit $58.1B year-to-date through May 2026, four times last year’s record, with five states capturing nearly 60% of all starts.
Recycled-Clay Cement Maker NeoCem Raises $19M to Scale Production
NeoCem raised $19M to scale its recycled-clay low-carbon cement toward 200,000 tonnes a year, as coal fly ash and steel slag supplies tighten for concrete.
Low-Carbon Cement Clears Its Toughest Test Yet: Industrial Precast
Ecocem’s ACT low-carbon cement cut precast concrete emissions 67.5% in a full-scale factory trial with no production changes, a real milestone for embodied carbon.
AI Bid Assistant Startup Guthrie Raises $4M to Speed Subcontractor Estimating
Guthrie AI raised $4M to scale its AI bid assistant for glazing contractors, cutting estimating turnaround from weeks to days and letting shops bid 70% more work.
GHD Buys Texas Transportation Engineering Firm to Chase Infrastructure Boom
GHD’s acquisition of Dallas-based Bowman Engineering pushes the global firm deeper into Texas transportation engineering, the busiest infrastructure market in the US.
Networked Geothermal Moves From Pilot to Program
Campus and district geothermal is scaling from pilots to programs, with universities and utilities building shared loops and Massachusetts adding a geothermal rate.
America’s Mass-Timber Supply Is Finally Catching Up to Demand
New U.S. cross-laminated timber plants from Timberlab and Mosaic Timber are adding domestic mass-timber capacity as demand grows 20-30% a year.
A French Giant Buys Into the Carolinas’ Contractor Market
Bouygues Construction’s purchase of Charlotte-area GC Vannoy Construction shows foreign builders buying their way into the booming U.S. Southeast.
OSHA’s Construction Rules Head to a Deregulatory Hearing in August
OSHA’s deregulatory rulemaking sends several construction standards to public hearings starting August 19, after the notice-to-appear window closed July 6.
QTS Puts $5M Into Iowa Trades as Data Centers Drain the Labor Pool
Data-center operator QTS is investing $5M in eastern Iowa skilled-trades training as hyperscale construction strains the region’s electrician and pipefitter supply.
Missouri Signs a Permitting Pact to Sync State and Federal Reviews
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed an agreement with the federal Permitting Council to coordinate state and federal review timelines for infrastructure projects.
AIA Cuts Its 2026 Construction Forecast as a K-Shaped Market Hardens
The AIA’s mid-year Consensus Forecast now sees 2026 nonresidential spending down 0.3%, with manufacturing off 11.6% while healthcare and AI work hold up.
Agave Raises $15M to Push AI Into Contractors’ Back Offices
Agave raised a $15M Series A led by Accel to expand its AI platform for construction financials, now used by 500+ contractors across 80,000 projects.
Cincinnati Finally Breaks Ground on Its $540M Convention Hotel
Portman broke ground July 21 on a 700-room, $540M Marriott convention headquarters hotel in downtown Cincinnati, with Skanska building toward a 2028 finish.
Construction Partners Buys Its Way Into Oklahoma’s Data-Center Paving Boom
Construction Partners closed its Ellsworth Construction buy on July 13, pushing into Tulsa and Oklahoma City paving as data-center sitework demand climbs.
Construction’s Next Robot Model: Hire the Machine, Not Buy It
Robotics firms are moving to a ‘hire’ model, deploying autonomous machines as subcontractors billed per unit of work, a procurement motion construction already understands.
MasTec Buys Superior Group for $1.65B as Grid Work Consolidates
MasTec agreed to buy Superior Group for $1.65B, adding electrical crews and equipment to its utility division as grid modernization drives contractor consolidation.