U.S. and South Korea Open Shipbuilding Coordination Center
The United States and South Korea officially opened a joint shipbuilding cooperation center in Washington, DC in July, launching operations for a $150 billion USD Korean investment in rebuilding American shipbuilding capacity.
The Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) will serve as the hub for Korea’s “Make American Shipbuilding Great Again” (MASGA) initiative to coordinate on research, training, and supply chain improvements. The agreement allows Korean shipbuilders like Hanwha Ocean, HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, and Samsung Heavy Industries to develop equipment and components for U.S. shipyards.
Read more: https://www.workboat.com/korea-us-open-shipbuilding-center-under-150-billion-partnership
Growth of AI Data Centers is Feeding the Resurgence of Nuclear Power in the U.S.
The energy demands of hyperscale AI data centers is proving to be a tipping point in pushing the United States to invest in new nuclear power plants. The industry had been largely stagnant since the partial nuclear meltdown of the Unit 2 reactor at Pennsylvania’s Three Mile Island plant in 1979. No new plants were approved for construction in the United States until 2012.
Today, the Unit 1 reactor at Three Mile Island is slated to be restarted by 2027 to provide power for Microsoft’s AI data center projects over the next 20+ years. There are 2,600+ gigawatts in projects waiting to connect to the U.S. power grid with a 5+ year wait.
Read more: https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/ai-boom-making-nuclear-power-130000559.html
Deep Sea Oil and Gas Drilling Expanding Rapidly
The oil and gas industry is moving to a new frontier to find the resources to fuel the world’s growing energy needs: the deep sea. Investments in deep sea oil and gas drilling have exceeded $200 billion USD in 2026, which is more than double the average of the past decade combined. An additional $2.5 trillion USD in spending is projected by 2035.
Deep sea operations bring unique challenges (such as extreme cold and high pressure near the ocean floor) that require specialized equipment that can withstand harsh conditions and provide accurate, real-time data throughout the drilling process.
Read more: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-02232-x
U.S. DOT Proposes Eliminating Public Transportation Funding
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has proposed eliminating the mass transit account of the government’s Highway Trust Fund. Sec. Duffy revealed the proposal in a letter to select senators that called for prioritizing motor vehicles over public transportation.
The mass transit account provides 85% of federal funding for public transit and passenger rail. Currently, the House is considering a bill that would provide $87.6 billion for the account each year from 2027 to 2031.
Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/cut-funding-mass-transit-bike-120100170.html
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.
US Emerges as Leading Oil Exporter, Surpassing Saudi Arabia and Russia
June 2026 – The United States is now the world’s leading oil exporter, marking a seismic shift in the global market that seemed impossible just a few decades ago. The shift began with the growth of U.S. shale production in the 2010s and accelerated after a ban on U.S. oil exports was lifted in 2015. U.S. shale production seems positioned for sustainable growth going forward.
New Photo of US Navy’s Next Ballistic Missile Submarine Confirms Its Shocking Scale
June 15, 2026 – The USS District of Columbia, a ballistic missile submarine under construction at the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, will be the largest sub ever built by the United States. It is the first of 12 new Columbia-class submarines and is expected to go into service in 2029, with an additional vessel being delivered each subsequent year.
NY Energy Officials Just Laid Out Our Nuclear Options: Here are 7 Takeaways
June 12, 2026 – On June 12th, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority released a preliminary “Advanced Nuclear Policy Options Paper” for public comment. The document outlines how the state can achieve Governor Kathy Hochul’s goals of increasing nuclear capacity as part of New York’s long-term energy plans. The analysis assumes that it is a matter of when, not if, new nuclear facilities will be built, with an urgency to start soon due to federal tax credits that will phase out after 2033.