Coos Bay Advances a $2.3B Bid to Become the West Coast’s Next Container Gateway
The Port of Coos Bay executed a $25M INFRA grant, matched by NorthPoint, to advance the $2.3B Pacific Coast Intermodal Port, a new ship-to-rail gateway in Oregon.
SoftBank Commits Up to €75B to a 5-Gigawatt AI Data Center in France
SoftBank plans a 5 GW AI data center in northern France, an investment of up to €75 billion, betting on the country’s nuclear-heavy grid for clean, firm power.
SMUD Plans a 160-MW Battery on the Retired Rancho Seco Nuclear Site
SMUD is developing a 160 MW / 640 MWh battery on the footprint of the retired Rancho Seco nuclear plant, reusing existing grid ties to speed a cleaner grid.
Multifamily Starts Crater 41.6% as Housing Construction Stalls in May
U.S. multifamily housing starts plunged 41.6% in May to their weakest pace since 2024 as high rates and a supply glut stall new apartment construction.
Virginia Enacts the First U.S. Tax on Data Center Electricity Use
Virginia’s 2026 budget adds a $0.011/kWh tax on data center electricity use, the first U.S. levy tied directly to data center power consumption.
AI Safety Wearables Move From Pilots to Standard Kit as 2024 Fatality Data Lands
AI safety wearables — smart helmets, vests, and camera systems — are moving from pilots to standard jobsite kit as 2024 data shows construction deaths still stuck high.
Wind and Solar Developers Race to Break Ground Before the Tax-Credit Cutoff
Wind and solar developers are racing to start construction before a July 2026 tax-credit cutoff, triggering a scramble to lock in equipment, land, and crews.
H-2B Filing Window Opens as FY2026 Adds 64,716 Visas and Contractors Push an H-2C Fix
The H-2B filing window opened in early July as DHS adds 64,716 visas for FY2026, while contractors push a construction-specific H-2C visa to ease labor shortages.
Data-Center Rules Tighten: FERC Orders PJM Fix as States Weigh Moratoriums
Data-center rules are tightening fast: FERC ordered PJM to overhaul interconnection, Maine weighs a construction moratorium, and water-disclosure bills spread.
Chevron and Microsoft Sign a 20-Year, 2.67-GW Behind-the-Meter Power Deal for a Texas Data Center
Chevron and Microsoft sign a 20-year, 2.67 GW behind-the-meter power deal to feed a ~2.5 GW Pecos, Texas data center campus, sidestepping the grid interconnection queue.
Ozinga Nears Startup on North America’s Largest Low-Carbon Cement Mill
Ozinga’s East Chicago plant, North America’s largest low-carbon cement mill, nears startup with 1M tons a year of slag cement and up to 80% less embodied carbon.
Panama Canal Pushes an $8.5B Modernization as RÃo Indio Reservoir Tenders Advance
The Panama Canal advances an $8.5 billion modernization, with the $1.6B RÃo Indio reservoir among the water, port, and energy megaprojects heading to tender in 2026.
Maryland Reopens the $3.5B Key Bridge Main-Span Job After Parting With Kiewit
Maryland’s MDTA reopens procurement for the $3.5–4B Francis Scott Key Bridge main span, a progressive design-build job, after off-ramping Kiewit over cost estimates.
Turner Keeps No. 1 on ENR’s 2026 Top 400 Contractors as Revenue Hits $28.3B
Turner Construction tops ENR’s 2026 Top 400 Contractors for the sixth straight year, with revenue climbing to $28.3 billion as megaprojects reshape the ranking.
Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 Breaks Ground on a $1.02B Tunneling Contract
The MTA breaks ground on Second Avenue Subway Phase 2, awarding a $1.02B tunneling contract to a Skanska/Traylor/Walsh JV to extend the Q train into East Harlem.
New California Laws Cap Retention and Reset Change Orders in 2026
A wave of California laws takes effect in 2026, capping private-contract retention at 5%, standardizing change-order disputes, and raising unlicensed-work fines.
U.S. Steel Backs $475M Tubular Line as Pipe Demand Holds
U.S. Steel approved a $475M quench-and-tempering line at its Fairfield Tubular Operations in Alabama, betting on steady oil-country pipe demand into 2029.
Union Craft Wage Settlements Hit ~4.7%, Highest in 15 Years
Union construction wage-and-benefit settlements averaged about 4.7% in early 2026, among the highest in 15 years as labor scarcity keeps pushing pay up.