Industry Insights for July
U.S. Navy Accepts Two Modernized Destroyers Ahead of Schedule
June 26, 2026 – The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of two modernized destroyers ahead of schedule, the USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) and USS James E. Williams (DDG 95). These are the second and third ships to be upgraded with Northrop Grumman’s SLQ-32(V)7 SEWIP Block 3 electronic attack system after the already-completed USS Pinckney (DDG 91). The USS Halsey (DDG 97) is the next Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer scheduled to be modernized.
The Navy had run into significant cost and time overruns while upgrading Ticonderoga-class cruisers over the past few years, but U.S. Navy Vice Admiral John Gumbleton says they have learned important lessons that are keeping this latest modernization effort on track.
Data Centers Now Outspend All US Public Transport Infrastructure Combined
June 29, 2026 – The United States now spends more on data center construction than it does on all public mass transit infrastructure combined, according to an April 2026 report by the Census Bureau.
AI data center spending is now $50.7 billion per year compared to $49.3 billion in government spending on transportation. The former represents a 28% year-over-year increase.
The new data demonstrates that in spite of considerable public concern about the environmental, health, and economic impacts of AI data centers, their rate of construction is still expanding rapidly.
Read more: https://coinedition.com/data-centres-now-outspend-all-us-public-transport-infrastructure-combined/
Feds Clear Path for Oil and Gas Drilling in California
June 24, 2026 – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it would resume leasing federal land in California for oil and gas development for the first time in four years.
Portions of Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare and Ventura counties will be reopened for leasing as part of a federal initiative to increase domestic energy production. The BLM will now have 684,000 acres of federal land and 959,000 acres of mineral estate available for energy companies to lease.
The agency projects 3,500 jobs and $65-90 million in royalties each year, with revenues split evenly between the U.S. Treasury and the State of California.
Read more: https://www.newsnationnow.com/politics/feds-clear-path-for-oil-and-gas-drilling-in-california/
U.S. Energy Secretary Announces $17.5 Billion in Loans for 10 New Large Nuclear Reactors
June 24, 2026 – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced it would resume leasing federal land in California for oil and gas June 23, 2026 – The Trump administration has announced $17.5 billion in loans to fund the construction of 10 new large nuclear reactors to meet surging energy demands fueled by the growth of data centers.
The loans are part of the administration’s goal of quadrupling domestic nuclear power production over the next 25 years. Most nuclear power plants in the United States were built between 1970-1990, with the last major nuclear project was Plant Vogtle, which was completed in 2024 in Georgia. Construction on that project started in 2009 but came in over budget and years late.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright believes that planning multiple reactors at the same time will spur the development of a more robust supply chain that will keep projects on time and on budget. Wright announced that the first plants could begin construction by 2030 and be operational in under a decade.