Minnesota

Oil & gas and construction news for subcontractors working in Minnesota — 28 stories and counting.

Data Center Builders Pivot to Onsite Power as Obstacles Mount

Data center demand is still strong, but permitting fights, grid limits and equipment backlogs are pushing developers toward onsite generation and flexible designs. Electrical, mechanical, piping and civil subs should price those scopes and document schedule risk.

6d ago

Industry

Mesabi Metallics' $15B Iowa Mill and $3B Minnesota Mine Signal Years of Subcontract Work

Mesabi Metallics is building a $15 billion steel mill in Iowa and finishing a $3 billion Minnesota iron mine, work that will require thousands of construction workers over the next several years even though a construction team for the mill hasn't been named yet.

Sep 29, 2026

Editorial image: Iron mine steel construction close-up - Mesabi Metallics' $15B Iowa Mill and $3B Minnesota Mine Signal Years of Subcontract Work

Industry

EIA: Solar Generation to Jump 21% in 2026 on Data Center Demand

The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts solar generation growth of 21% in 2026 and 18% in 2027, driven by data center and manufacturing electricity demand, with growth concentrated in ERCOT and MISO.

Sep 12, 2026

Editorial image: Aerial solar farm meets data center construction - EIA: Solar Generation to Jump 21% in 2026 on Data Center Demand

Industry

Mortenson to Build $450M HVDC Line Upgrade Across North Dakota, Minnesota

Minnesota Power broke ground on a $450 million HVDC transmission modernization with Mortenson as general contractor, replacing 50-year-old infrastructure across a 465-mile line tied to a proposed Google data center.

Sep 3, 2026

Editorial image: HVDC tower steel erection close-up - Mortenson to Build $450M HVDC Line Upgrade Across North Dakota, Minnesota

Industry

$1.8B Blatnik Bridge Project Breaks Ground, Opens Multiyear Bid Pipeline

Minnesota and Wisconsin officials broke ground on the $1.8 billion John A. Blatnik Bridge replacement, a design-build project expected to run through 2031 and generate up to 1.75 million labor hours.

Sep 1, 2026

Editorial image: Twilight aerial bridge construction groundbreaking - $1.8B Blatnik Bridge Project Breaks Ground, Opens Multiyear Bid Pipeline

Workforce

Wildfire Smoke Poses Year-Round OSHA Risk for Outdoor Crews

ISHN reports that construction, utility, and landscaping crews face growing respiratory hazards from recurring wildfire smoke, with industry experts urging employers to treat AQI monitoring and N95 fit testing as standard seasonal prep, not emergency response.

Aug 29, 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

Editorial image: Megaproject site plan at dusk - Tutor Perini Posts Record Q2 Revenue, Turns Selective on $200B Bid Pipeline

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

Industry

Ryan Cos. Execs Detail Data Center Delays, Site Selection Challenges

Ryan Cos. leaders tell Construction Dive that permitting fights, power access and equipment shortages are slowing data center builds even as demand stays high.

Jul 29, 2026

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

Gas-Fired Power Boom for AI Data Centers Sparks Clean Energy Pushback

An AP report via Power Engineering details how the AI-driven data center boom is fueling a wave of new natural gas plants, prompting clean energy advocates and lawmakers in states including Pennsylvania to fight for renewable energy mandates and grid access.

Jul 15, 2026

Editorial image: Gas plant versus renewables, aerial - Gas-Fired Power Boom for AI Data Centers Sparks Clean Energy Pushback

Industry

Lunda Construction to Replace 113-Year-Old St. Paul Rail Bridge

Tutor Perini subsidiary Lunda Construction will replace the Roberts Street Railroad Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Paul, with construction starting July 2026 and substantial completion set for December 2029.

Jul 10, 2026

Workforce

Data Center Boom Fuels Workforce Spending Amid Rising Local Pushback

Meta and Google are pouring a combined $165 million into skilled-trades training as data center developers face growing community opposition and legal delays on megaprojects nationwide.

Jul 2, 2026

Industry

Minneapolis-Area Owners Prioritizing Renovations Over New Builds, Driving Retrofit Demand

Rising construction costs are pushing Twin Cities public-sector owners toward facility reinvestment, with geothermal upgrades and interior remodels gaining ground over new construction.

Jun 30, 2026

Industry

Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture Named Contractor for $1.4B Blatnik Bridge Replacement

Minnesota and Wisconsin have selected Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture II for the $1.4 billion design-build replacement of the John A. Blatnik Bridge, with construction set to begin late 2026 and wrap in 2031.

Jun 24, 2026

Editorial image: Night bridge construction over water - Ames-Kraemer Joint Venture Named Contractor for $1.4B Blatnik Bridge Replacement

Industry

PowerOn Midwest Transmission Plan Projects 5,000 Construction Jobs and $2B in Economic Activity

A new economic impact study for the PowerOn Midwest transmission initiative projects nearly 5,000 construction-phase jobs and more than $2 billion in statewide economic activity in Minnesota, creating a significant pipeline for electrical and civil subcontractors in the Upper Midwest.

Jun 23, 2026

Editorial image: Transmission towers at dusk - PowerOn Midwest Transmission Plan Projects 5,000 Construction Jobs and $2B in Economic Activity

Industry

Proposed Law Would Let Federal Arbitrators Write Your Union Contracts — Here's What Subcontractors Need to Know

The Faster Labor Contracts Act would allow federally appointed arbitrators to impose binding first contracts on employers and unions that miss accelerated negotiation deadlines. Here's what that means for union subcontractors bidding and staffing projects.

Jun 18, 2026

Editorial image: Arbitrator gavel over union contracts - Proposed Law Would Let Federal Arbitrators Write Your Union Contracts — Here's What Subcontractors Need to Know

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

Industrial Construction Holds Steady in Upper Midwest as Commercial, Residential Activity Falls

A Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis survey found 54% of Upper Midwest construction firms reported declining activity this spring, with industrial and data center work the lone bright spots in the region.

Jun 9, 2026

Editorial image: Industrial site dawn, Midwest - Industrial Construction Holds Steady in Upper Midwest as Commercial, Residential Activity Falls

Industry

Quanta Services Pilots Australian Suicide Prevention Model Across Six Field Units

Six Quanta Services subsidiaries are testing MATES North America, an Australian peer-to-peer suicide prevention program, across union and non-union construction sites in the US. The pilot aims to adapt the model for North American field workforces.

Jun 6, 2026

Editorial image: Crew connection at dawn - Quanta Services Pilots Australian Suicide Prevention Model Across Six Field Units

Industry

Court Injunction Halts Google's Minnesota Data Center, Costing GC $5M in Delays

A Minnesota judge issued a temporary restraining order pausing construction on Google's 482-acre Project Skyway data center campus in Pine Island, with general contractor Ryan Cos. estimating delays could cost $5 million or more.

Jun 6, 2026

Editorial image: Stalled construction site injunction - Court Injunction Halts Google's Minnesota Data Center, Costing GC $5M in Delays

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

Industry

Minnesota Contractors Ordered to Pay Record $1.28M in Wage Violations

Minnesota reached its largest-ever wage and hour settlement after investigators found 26 construction workers were shorted overtime and other pay across 19 Twin Cities projects. Subcontractors should review certified payroll practices now.

May 1, 2026

Industry

Trump Signs Law Overturning 20-Year Minnesota Mining Ban, Opening 225,000 Acres to Development

President Trump signed H.J.Res. 140 into law, reversing a Biden-era ban on mining across more than 225,000 acres of northeastern Minnesota's Superior National Forest, reopening the region to copper, nickel, and cobalt development.

Apr 29, 2026

Plus 3 earlier stories — use search to find them.

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