California

Oil & gas and construction news for subcontractors working in California — 32 stories and counting.

California HSR Authority Launches RFQ for $2.4B Merced-to-Madera Civil Works Contract

California's High-Speed Rail Authority has approved an RFQ for the $2.4B Merced-to-Madera civil works package, expanding active construction to 171 miles. Utility, civil, and specialty subs should start tracking this procurement now.

6d ago

Industry

Wood Mackenzie: 7 GW of Renewable Projects Cancelled on Federal Land, Another 12 GW at Risk

A Wood Mackenzie analysis finds federal permitting changes cancelled or halted 7 GW of renewable energy projects on federal land in 2025, with $121 billion in total investment now at risk across federal and private lands.

Jul 1, 2026

Industry

Billions in Rail Contracts Are Moving, But Funding Fights Put Subcontractors at Risk

Major rail and transit projects are generating multibillion-dollar contracts across the US, but expiring federal funding and political battles over DEI and appropriations create real risks for subcontractors considering these jobs.

Jun 29, 2026

Editorial image: Empty rail tunnel at dawn - Billions in Rail Contracts Are Moving, But Funding Fights Put Subcontractors at Risk

Industry

Six Asset Integrity Programs Every Refinery Sub Should Know

A maintenance manager at PBF Martinez Refinery outlines six critical asset integrity programs that processing facilities must manage proactively, with implications for inspection and maintenance subcontractors.

Jun 26, 2026

Industry

API Calls for SPR Overhaul and Permitting Reform After Hormuz Closure Exposes US Energy Vulnerabilities

API President Mike Sommers urged Congress to modernize the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and accelerate permitting reform following the Strait of Hormuz closure, warning that US energy infrastructure cannot meet modern supply disruptions.

Jun 24, 2026

Editorial image: Strategic reserve dawn aerial - API Calls for SPR Overhaul and Permitting Reform After Hormuz Closure Exposes US Energy Vulnerabilities

Industry

Jacobs-McCarthy JV Breaks Ground on $185M Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion

A joint venture of Jacobs and McCarthy Building Cos. has started construction on the $185 million Torrance Groundwater Desalter expansion in Southern California, with substantial completion targeted for October 2028.

Jun 23, 2026

Editorial image: Desalter facility aerial construction - Jacobs-McCarthy JV Breaks Ground on $185M Torrance Groundwater Desalter Expansion

Industry

California Appeals Court Upholds Block on Sable Offshore Pipeline Repairs

A California appeals court has sided with the Coastal Commission, upholding an injunction that blocks Sable Offshore's pipeline repair work in Santa Barbara County and threatening the restart of offshore oil production.

Jun 23, 2026

Editorial image: Halted coastal pipeline work - California Appeals Court Upholds Block on Sable Offshore Pipeline Repairs

Industry

Carollo Engineers Wins $210M Contract for California Water Treatment Plant

Carollo Engineers will manage phase one construction of the Ophir Water Treatment Plant in Placer County, California, a $210 million project that will add 10 million gallons per day of treated water capacity.

Jun 22, 2026

Editorial image: Water treatment plant at dawn - Carollo Engineers Wins $210M Contract for California Water Treatment Plant

Industry

FERC Orders Six Grid Operators to Justify or Rewrite Large-Load Interconnection Rules

FERC issued show-cause orders to six regional grid operators on June 18, requiring them to defend or revise tariffs governing how data centers and large industrial users connect to the transmission grid. Here's what the mandate means for utility construction contractors.

Jun 18, 2026

Editorial image: Regulatory tariff review, field office - FERC Orders Six Grid Operators to Justify or Rewrite Large-Load Interconnection Rules

Industry

Q1 2026 Earnings Mixed for Major US Contractors: Granite Climbs, Fluor Slips, Tutor Perini Eyes Blowout Year

Granite raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $5.4B after strong Q1 results driven by border and data centre work. Fluor posted 'messy' numbers with a 54% drop in new awards. Tutor Perini and Skanska held steady, both pointing to record backlogs and data centre demand.

Jun 16, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial mixed-progress construction site - Q1 2026 Earnings Mixed for Major US Contractors: Granite Climbs, Fluor Slips, Tutor Perini Eyes Blowout Year

Industry

SunZia Wind Farm Begins Commercial Operations as Largest US Wind Project

Pattern Energy's SunZia Wind Project in New Mexico — 3,650 MW across 916 turbines — is entering commercial operations, capping nearly two decades of permitting and three years of active construction.

Jun 12, 2026

Editorial image: Wind turbines New Mexico desert - SunZia Wind Farm Begins Commercial Operations as Largest US Wind Project

Industry

Don't Wait for Summer to Plan Heat Illness Prevention, ISHN Warns

Heat illness prevention should start before peak temperatures arrive, with acclimatization, hydration, and response protocols in place before crews face extreme conditions.

Jun 10, 2026

Industry

Data Center Opposition Is Now a Real Schedule Risk for Construction Managers

Community pushback against data center projects is extending permitting timelines and driving up costs, creating new risks for subcontractors signing on to hyperscale builds.

Jun 8, 2026

Editorial image: Stalled data center, neighborhood opposition - Data Center Opposition Is Now a Real Schedule Risk for Construction Managers

Industry

Trump Directs $850M to Restart and Upgrade Coal Plants Across 15 States

The Trump administration is directing up to $850 million toward upgrading operating coal plants, restarting decommissioned facilities, and building new capacity in Alaska and West Virginia. Field service companies should weigh near-term construction opportunity against long-term demand uncertainty.

Jun 7, 2026

Editorial image: Coal plant revival from above - Trump Directs $850M to Restart and Upgrade Coal Plants Across 15 States

Industry

Kiewit-Led JV Lands $3.5B California High-Speed Rail Track Contract

A Kiewit Stacey Witbeck Herzog joint venture has been selected to install 119 miles of high-speed rail track in California's Central Valley, opening subcontracting opportunities across nine work packages on a $34.76 billion program.

Jun 3, 2026

Editorial image: High-speed rail track close-up - Kiewit-Led JV Lands $3.5B California High-Speed Rail Track Contract

Industry

Port of Long Beach's $400M Pier Infill Opens Heavy Civil Work for Marine Subcontractors

A nearly $400 million slip-fill project at the Port of Long Beach is creating new land and 3,400 feet of continuous wharf, part of the port's $2.4 billion capital program targeting a 50% capacity increase at the nation's second-largest seaport.

May 29, 2026

Industry

CAISO's $6.7B Transmission Plan Puts Load Growth, Not Just Renewables, in the Driver's Seat

California's grid operator has approved 38 transmission projects worth $6.7 billion, with more than half driven by load growth. Here's what that strategic shift means for transmission subcontractors working in the West.

May 26, 2026

Editorial image: Transmission grid meets load growth - CAISO's $6.7B Transmission Plan Puts Load Growth, Not Just Renewables, in the Driver's Seat

Industry

US Grid Adds 75 GW of Summer Capacity in a Year, Led by Texas and the West

FERC reports the largest year-over-year capacity increase in over a decade, with nearly 26 GW added in Texas alone, signaling sustained demand for grid construction and interconnection work across the country.

May 23, 2026

Editorial image: Massive grid expansion buildout - US Grid Adds 75 GW of Summer Capacity in a Year, Led by Texas and the West

Compliance

California Bill Would Hand Workplace Death Investigations to State Prosecutors

A California assembly bill would transfer responsibility for investigating workplace fatalities and permanent disability incidents from Cal/OSHA to state prosecutors, a shift that could expose subcontractors to criminal liability well beyond traditional regulatory fines.

May 14, 2026

Editorial image: Pumpjacks under dawn scrutiny - California Bill Would Hand Workplace Death Investigations to State Prosecutors

Industry

Data Center and Energy Project Breaks Ground Near NAS Lemoore

A major data center and energy project has broken ground near Naval Air Station Lemoore in California, signaling potential construction and field service work in the region.

May 9, 2026

Industry

SOLV Energy Acquires Substation Contractor RWE, Signaling Bigger Push Into Grid Infrastructure

Solar EPC giant SOLV Energy is buying California-based substation contractor Roberson Waite Electric, a move that signals growing convergence between large-scale solar developers and utility grid infrastructure work.

May 4, 2026

Editorial image: Substation meets solar grid - SOLV Energy Acquires Substation Contractor RWE, Signaling Bigger Push Into Grid Infrastructure

Industry

White House Extends Jones Act Shipping Waiver Through Mid-August

The Trump administration has granted a 90-day extension to a Jones Act waiver, keeping foreign-flagged vessels authorized to move oil, fuel, and fertilizer between US ports through mid-August.

Apr 25, 2026

Industry

Newport Beach Contractor Ordered to Pay $468K After Federal Wage Theft Investigation

SCA General Contracting must pay $468,505 to 137 workers after a DOL investigation found missed payroll, unpaid overtime, and worker retaliation. Here's what it means for subcontractors.

Apr 21, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial layered construction site - Newport Beach Contractor Ordered to Pay $468K After Federal Wage Theft Investigation

Industry

California Court Blocks Sable Offshore Pipeline Restart Despite Federal Order

A Santa Barbara judge upheld a state injunction against Sable Offshore Corp., ruling that a Trump executive order invoking the Defense Production Act cannot override California's coastal pipeline restrictions.

Apr 20, 2026

Editorial image: Coastal pipeline regulatory standoff - California Court Blocks Sable Offshore Pipeline Restart Despite Federal Order

Compliance

Coalition of 40-Plus Groups Challenges Cal/OSHA Walkaround Rule That Could Put Third Parties on Your Jobsite

A coalition of more than 40 organizations is urging California to halt rulemaking on worker walkaround representation, arguing the proposed rule exceeds Cal/OSHA's authority and threatens employer property rights.

Apr 20, 2026

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