California

Oil & gas and construction news for subcontractors working in California — 67 stories and counting.

July Construction Starts Jump 25.6% as Megaprojects Drive Volatility

Dodge Construction Network reports total construction starts rebounded 25.6% in July after a June slump, with data centers, manufacturing, and utility projects fueling a "disjointed" market.

Yesterday

Industry

California Bullet Train Could Hit Financial Wall by 2027, Watchdog Warns

An inspector general report finds California's high-speed rail authority could run out of cash by end of 2027 unless it can borrow against future cap-and-invest revenues, a warning sign for contractors relying on steady megaproject funding.

Aug 18, 2026

Industry

Skanska-Stacy Witbeck JV Lands $1.9B LA Metro Light Rail Contract in Van Nuys

A Skanska-Stacy Witbeck joint venture signed a $1.9 billion contract with LA Metro to build a 6.7-mile at-grade light rail line in Van Nuys, opening years of subcontracting work through 2031.

Aug 17, 2026

Editorial image: Utility trench, at-grade rail prep - Skanska-Stacy Witbeck JV Lands $1.9B LA Metro Light Rail Contract in Van Nuys

Industry

Valley Water's $1.88B Anderson Dam Contract Sets Up 7-Year Rebuild

Valley Water has awarded a $1.88 billion construction contract to the Flatiron Dragados Sukut joint venture for the $2.8 billion Anderson Dam Seismic Retrofit Project, with construction starting in early 2027 and running seven years.

Aug 17, 2026

Editorial image: Dam retrofit staging equipment scale - Valley Water's $1.88B Anderson Dam Contract Sets Up 7-Year Rebuild

Industry

US Rig Count Climbs to 593 as Oklahoma Adds Rig

Baker Hughes data shows the U.S. rig count rose to 593 last week while Oklahoma gained one rig to reach 51, pointing to steady near-term work for drilling and completions crews.

Aug 16, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial multi-rig basin at golden-hour - US Rig Count Climbs to 593 as Oklahoma Adds Rig

Industry

Skanska Exec Details LAX Small Business Outreach as DBE Rules Shift

Skanska's DBE compliance officer discusses how the firm hit small business goals on a $380 million LAX project, as California pauses federally mandated DBE goals amid a U.S. DOT certification overhaul.

Aug 16, 2026

Industry

Western Midstream Operators Push for Faster Gas Pipeline Expansion

Natural Gas Intelligence reports that Western US midstream operators are prioritizing pipeline optimization and new infrastructure as regional capacity runs at full utilization, citing weather-driven price spikes and growing storage needs.

Aug 14, 2026

Editorial image: aerial pipeline compressor station at dusk - Western Midstream Operators Push for Faster Gas Pipeline Expansion

Industry

Phillips 66, Kinder Morgan, HF Sinclair Sanction $5B West Coast Pipeline JV

The three companies finalized a joint venture for the 1,300-mile Western Gateway Pipeline system, a $5 billion project that will require new construction from Borger, Texas to Phoenix, Arizona ahead of California refinery closures.

Aug 12, 2026

Industry

Court Forces DOD to Resume Wind Reviews as RWE Takes $1.2B Federal Buyout

A federal judge ordered the Defense Department to resume halted wind project security reviews, while RWE became the latest developer to accept a federal payout to exit U.S. lease sites, ENR reports.

Aug 10, 2026

Industry

Tutor Perini Posts Record Q2 Revenue, Turns Selective on $200B Bid Pipeline

Tutor Perini reported record second-quarter revenue of $1.64 billion and net income of $65.7 million, fueled by megaprojects, but the contractor says it will bid selectively from a $200 billion opportunity pipeline to protect margins, Construction Dive reports.

Aug 7, 2026

Revenue

Trenchless Relining Doubles Lifespan of Don Pedro Dam's Aging Penstock

Trenchless Technology details how F.D. Thomas relined a 1,300-ft steel penstock at California's Don Pedro Dam, offering a rehab playbook for water and hydropower subcontractors facing similar legacy infrastructure.

Aug 7, 2026

Industry

Cadiz Signs $403M Deals to Convert Gas Pipeline to Water Line in San Bernardino County

Cadiz affiliate Fenner Gap Mutual Water Company has contracted W.M. Lyles and Mike Bubalo Construction for a $403.3 million project converting a 220-mile natural gas pipeline into a water conveyance system serving San Bernardino County.

Aug 4, 2026

Editorial image: industry general - Cadiz Signs $403M Deals to Convert Gas Pipeline to Water Line in San Bernardino County

Compliance

State Heat Rules Multiply as Federal OSHA Standard Stalls Past 2027

ISHN reports that OSHA's heat illness rule is stuck in supplemental rulemaking until at least October 2027, while seven states now enforce their own heat standards, creating a compliance patchwork for multi-state contractors.

Jul 31, 2026

Revenue

Granite Construction Triples Data Center Backlog, Raises 2026 Revenue Guidance

Granite Construction reported a threefold jump in data center backlog and raised full-year revenue guidance by $100 million, even as debt restructuring drove a $278 million quarterly loss, Construction Dive reports.

Jul 31, 2026

Industry

Anderson Dam's $2.8B Rebuild Signals Years of Bay Area Heavy-Civil Work

Santa Clara Valley Water District has awarded a $1.88 billion construction contract for the seven-year Anderson Dam rebuild, opening a long runway of geotechnical, tunneling and dam-safety subcontracting packages in the South Bay.

Jul 29, 2026

Editorial image: Dam rebuild excavation at golden-hour - Anderson Dam's $2.8B Rebuild Signals Years of Bay Area Heavy-Civil Work

Industry

States Push Back on FERC Bid to Expand Pipeline Permit Exemptions

More than a dozen states and D.C. are urging FERC to reject a rule that would let more gas pipeline projects skip case-specific review, warning of higher costs and less scrutiny.

Jul 28, 2026

Industry

Skanska Tops Small Business Goals on $380M LAX Roadways Project

Skanska completed a $380 million roadways and utility project at LAX, exceeding all small, local and veteran-owned business participation targets, Construction Dive reports.

Jul 28, 2026

Industry

Utility ROE Cuts Could Squeeze Grid Capex, Signal Slower Subcontractor Pipeline

Regulators in Maryland, California, and elsewhere are pushing to cut utility return on equity over affordability concerns, a shift that could tighten capital budgets for line and substation work in the years ahead.

Jul 27, 2026

Industry

The Pentagon Wants to Build Data Centers. Congress Would Like a Word.

Lawmakers are pushing new oversight requirements on Defense Department plans to lease military land for AI data centers, citing energy, water, and community impacts.

Jul 25, 2026

Editorial image: Data center construction on military desert land - The Pentagon Wants to Build Data Centers. Congress Would Like a Word.

Industry

Water Infrastructure Projects Surge Nationwide Into 2026

A wave of municipal water and wastewater contracts, from a $1B Ohio River tunnel to a $518M Virginia floodwater project, signals sustained bid opportunities for civil and treatment-plant subs through 2026.

Jul 25, 2026

Editorial image: Dawn tunnel shaft construction site - Water Infrastructure Projects Surge Nationwide Into 2026

Industry

Report: Renewables Could Cover a Third of US Industrial Heat by 2035

A UC Berkeley analysis finds on-site wind, solar, heat pumps and thermal storage could economically meet a third of US industrial heat demand by 2035, flagging future electrification retrofit opportunities. Utility Dive reports.

Jul 25, 2026

Compliance

California Warehouses Risk Fines as Loading Dock Heat Passes Hidden Threshold

ISHN reports that Cal/OSHA's indoor heat standard imposes mandatory engineering controls once temperatures hit 87°F, a threshold loading docks often breach unnoticed even when main warehouse floors stay compliant.

Jul 24, 2026

Compliance

Granite Wins $50M Job to Replace PG&E Dam Spillway After Oroville-Driven Review

Granite Construction has landed a $50 million contract to replace the spillway at PG&E's Tiger Creek Regulator Dam after post-Oroville safety reviews found the existing structure couldn't handle the site's probable maximum flood, Engineering News-Record reports.

Jul 23, 2026

Industry

Battery Storage Boom Points to Where EPC Crews Will Work in 2026

ENR reports 24.3 GW of new U.S. battery storage capacity is set to come online in 2026, with Texas and California leading a buildout that promises sustained work for EPC firms and electrical subcontractors.

Jul 23, 2026

Editorial image: industry general - Battery Storage Boom Points to Where EPC Crews Will Work in 2026

Workforce

36-Inch Water Main Break Prompts Conservation Push in West Hollywood

A ruptured 36-inch transmission main on Sunset Boulevard has LADWP crews working around the clock, with officials asking residents and businesses to conserve water during repairs.

Jul 23, 2026

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