In today’s construction news, read about how on Tuesday, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem expedited the construction of a new border barrier between Mexico and California, spanning around 2.5 miles (ca. 4 km), by circumventing environmental restrictions. On the other hand, US MgO has revealed intentions to invest $5 million and create at least 35 new jobs in Brunswick County, North Carolina, by constructing a new manufacturing plant for its cutting-edge building materials. Finally, sixteen potential locations for data center development on government property have been listed by the US Department of Energy (DOE).
President Trump to Accelerate California-mexico Border Wall Construction
Original Source: Trump administration to speed up construction of California-Mexico border wall
Kristi Noem, DHS secretary, violated environmental restrictions on Tuesday to speed up the construction of 2.5 miles (ca. 4 km) of additional border barrier between Mexico and California.
The Trump administration’s top priority is securing the southern U.S. border, and this is the first environmental waiver for the border wall in his second term.
According to a DHS news release, such requirements, which require federal agencies to evaluate whether their planned actions will harm the land, “can stall vital projects for months or even years.”
On Tuesday, the Federal Register issued a waiver for U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s fiscal year 2020 and 2021 budget-funded projects in Jacumba Hot Springs, 70 miles east of San Diego.
San Diego led border migrant arrivals for the first time in decades in April. After Mexican officials strengthened enforcement and former President Biden reduced asylum access in June, arrivals plummeted last year.
In giving the waiver, Noem cited increased crossings in San Diego last year.
“There is presently an acute and immediate need to construct additional physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the US border in order to prevent unlawful entries into the US,” Noem stated in the registration notice.
Earthjustice criticized the move, noting that such waivers were issued frequently during the first Trump administration and that the announcement comes days after the Senate approved a budget resolution to allocate billions of taxpayer dollars to border wall construction.
“Waiving environmental, cultural preservation, and good governance laws that protect clean air and clean water, precious cultural resources, vibrant ecosystems, and biodiversity will only harm border communities and ecosystems,” Earthjustice associate legislative representative Cameron Walkup said.
Since Trump was inaugurated Jan. 20, more over 50 miles of permanent and temporary wall sections have been built, according to Border Patrol Deputy Chief David BeMiller on Tuesday. The goal is 1,400 miles of unbroken border barrier. Border Patrol reports a 70% drop in migrant arrests this fiscal year compared to last year.
Democratic colleagues and environmentalists criticized the Biden administration in 2023 for suspending 26 federal rules to build 20 miles of border wall in south Texas.
US MgO Announces Brunswick County, North Carolina Manufacturing Plant
Original Source: US MgO announces manufacturing plant in Brunswick County, North Carolina
US MgO proposes to develop a new manufacturing plant for its revolutionary construction material products in Brunswick County, North Carolina, producing 35 jobs and $5 million in investment.
Brunswick County Commissioners approved the sale of 22 Leland Innovation Park acres to US MgO after a public hearing at their regular meeting on Monday, April 7. The company plans to build a 75,000-square-foot facility to make high-quality magnesium oxide (MgO) cement sheathing panels for North American commercial, multifamily, and industrial construction.
“After two years of research and development at our small facility in Leland, we’re thrilled to break ground on this major upgrade,” US MgO’s Ryan Miller said. “MgO panels are one of the construction industry’s most innovative building products, but most people don’t know about them. By developing the nation’s first production plant for this product type, we’re pleased to grow in Brunswick County.”
Research and development and warehousing are already in Brunswick County and Wilmington, respectively. US MgO was founded in 2023 by a team of building products industry veterans and partners with decades of experience developing, researching, and producing sheathing panels and novel building solutions.
Chairman Mike Forte said Brunswick County is happy to support another innovative initiative that will boost our local economy and create new jobs. “We are thrilled to have US MgO join our community, and we look forward to their future growth.”
Over the past 24 months, Brunswick Business & Industry (BBID), Brunswick County, and corporate officials have worked hard to allow US MgO to use county-owned property. The purchase includes multiple tracts with unique geographical challenges, says BBID Board Chairman Allen Bryant.
Bryant said, “The property was difficult to develop, so we have been marketing for property for many years without success.” “We are grateful that US MgO can use this property and create jobs and investment in our community. Today represents the culmination of many people’s efforts.”
The now-defunct Brunswick County Economic Development Commission gave Brunswick County four Leland Innovation Park properties to sell. The new US MgO manufacturing factory could boost the land’s economic development. Hourly wages are likely $52, including overtime, vacation, and other cash benefits.
US MgO partners with Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, Brunswick Business & Industry Development, Brunswick Community College, and North Carolina’s Southeast.
DOE Lists 16 Government Sites for “Rapid Data Center Construction,” Including 1GW
Original Source: US DOE identifies 16 sites on federal land for “rapid data center construction,” including 1GW location
The DOE has identified 16 federal property sites for data centers.
The DOE issued an RFI on the sites to help the department decide whether to add more. The places have energy infrastructure that can expedite nuclear energy permitting.
The RFI aims to build AI infrastructure at a few DOE facilities by 2027. Companies have 30 days to reply to RFIs.
“The global race for AI dominance is the next Manhattan project, and with President Trump’s leadership and our National Labs’ innovation, the US can and will win,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated.
The Department of Energy is taking crucial steps to use domestic resources to power the AI revolution while continuing to offer cheap, reliable, and secure energy to the American people.
President Trump’s Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence and Unleashing American Energy Executive Orders maintained the Biden Administration’s trend of opening federal land for data centers.
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios said: “The Trump Administration will unleash Federal resources to build out the data resources needed for an AI-powered future.”
The 16 places are:
Idaho Lab
Gaseous Diffusion Plants: Paducah, Portsmouth, and Argonne National Laboratory.
Brookhaven National Lab
Fermi Fermilab
National Energy Technology Laboratory
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Lab
Northwest National Lab
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Los Alamos National Laboratory
National Lab Sandia
Savannah River Site: Pantex Plant
National Security Campus Kansas City
For each site, the RFI provides different details. Some cover federal land locations, grid availability, and water capacity, while others are broader.
The RFI says that Argonne National Laboratory “could accommodate a 110-acre developable site for a future 1,000MW AI data park on US Department of Energy (DOE) land with an early target for operations by 2028.”
The facility would benefit from Illinois’ data center tax exemption, which has helped Chicago become the fourth largest data center market in the US by capacity. The land is 23 miles from Chicago.
Brookhaven National Laboratory is near the Caithness Long Island Energy Center, “which could be the site of a new 750MW gas turbine plant for a data center.”
The NREL Flatirons Campus “has enough land, power, water, and broadband capability to host a 100MW data center that could be initiated as soon as this year (2025),” the RFI states. “The site could support an integrated data center energy system test bed, that could be deployed later at scale at other locations.”
Another smaller deployment is at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in New Jersey. Its campus “currently has 100MW of energy capacity with district upgrade potential available, and current water contract with NJ Water Supply Authority includes ~55 million gallons/year.”
With some of the world’s largest supercomputers, Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is deploying data centers.
In the RFI, LANL stated: “LANL is upgrading the Strategic Computing Complex (SCC) to 70MW, which requires the EPCU and SEU GPPs, which are funded and nearing completion.
The company plans to use new off-site power and water capabilities to enhance its on-site ones. LANL acknowledges that this new on-premises commercial data center would increase our goal and limit HPC+AI infrastructure to 100MW without new power sources or EPCU choices.
“The improved SCC (70MW) mission must operationally manage this 100MW on-premises restriction. The SCC may host low-density data systems to reduce peak power consumption and yet use 70MW overall capabilities by reconfiguring its electrical distribution to 2N power. The SCC might hand over control to the new AI facility. Better still, discover and build new on-premises power sources like gas turbines (extend the steam plant) or nuclear small modular reactors.”
DCD exclusively reported in March 2025 that the US government was also considering a 500MW data center on a Tucson Air Force facility.
Summary of today’s construction news
In summary, since Trump took office on January 20, more than 50 miles of both temporary and permanent wall segments have been built, according to U.S. Border Patrol Deputy Chief David BeMiller on Tuesday. The objective is to build a continuous border barrier spanning roughly 1,400 miles.
On the other hand, the four Leland Innovation Park parcels up for sale were purchased by Brunswick County from the now-defunct Brunswick County Economic Development Commission. The new US MgO manufacturing plant offered a great chance to achieve the land’s goal of economic development.
Finally, a better approach would be to identify and deploy new on-premises power sources such as gas turbines (exercise options to expand the existing steam plant) or nuclear small modular reactors.” In March 2025, DCD exclusively reported that the US government was similarly assessing interest in developing a 500-MW data centre at an Air Force base in Tucson, Arizona.
