North America Construction and Energy Projects – Overview: New Infrastructure, Rail, Solar, Nuclear and Housing Investments

New Energy, New Rail, New Cities

December 2025 is turning into one of those months where you can actually feel the map shifting a little under your feet.Despite regulatory headaches and political noise, North America is quietly loading up the pipeline with new power plants, transit lines, and large-scale housing projects.

This bulletin walks through some of the most notable new or first-time projects announced or kicked off this month across construction, energy, transit, and urban redevelopment.

1. Energy & Grid Transformation: Solar, Gas, Storage

1.1 Texas hits a clean-power milestone

In Texas, the numbers finally did something symbolic: for the first time, the state’s main grid is on track in 2025 to generate more electricity from solar farms than from coal plants for the full year. From January to November, solar produced about 2.64 million MWh versus 2.44 million MWh from coal on the ERCOT system, and December output is expected to lock in solar’s lead. Reuters

It’s not a single project, but it matters for every contractor, EPC, and supplier:

• Solar’s share of ERCOT’s mix has climbed to around 14%, up from just 6% in 2022. Reuters

• Utility-scale batteries in Texas are now a central part of the build-out, storing surplus solar and smoothing demand peaks. Reuters

In simple terms: if you build solar, storage, or grid infrastructure, Texas is evolving from “interesting” to “strategic.”

1.2 Beardstown, Illinois: community solar + storage first in its territory

In Beardstown, Illinois, a small but important project has gone live as a regional first. The Beard Solar project is the first installation in Ameren Illinois’ territory to combine community solar with battery storage. Jacksonville Journal-Courier

Key points:

• Capacity: about 3.5 MWac / 6.9 MWdc, with 11.9 MWh of storage. Jacksonville Journal-Courier

• Expected impact: roughly 1,300 homes powered annually, with 3–4 extra hours of supply after sunset thanks to the battery system. Jacksonville Journal-Courier

• Model: a community solar program, so small businesses and residents can subscribe and receive bill credits without installing panels on their own roofs. Jacksonville Journal-Courier

On top of the energy benefits, the project will generate local tax revenue over its 20-year life for schools, colleges, the park district, and the county. Jacksonville Journal-Courier

This is exactly the kind of mid-scale project that quietly builds long-term business for EPCs, O&M providers, and local contractors.

1.3 San Diego County, California: JVR Energy Park secures major financing

In San Diego County, JVR Energy Park has moved from “plan” to “funded” with about $416 million in financing secured in early December. PR Newswire

Project snapshot:

• ~125 MW of solar plus 70 MW of battery storage. PR Newswire

• Expected to power around 57,000 homes once operational. PR Newswire

• Commercial operation is planned for fall 2026, with site preparation and contracting activity ramping up from now. PR Newswire

For contractors, this means a multi-year stream of work in civil, electrical, interconnection, and long-term O&M in one of the most competitive renewables markets in North America.

1.4 Louisiana: gas-fired generation to feed a giant AI data center

In Richland Parish, Louisiana, Entergy Louisiana has broken ground on a pair of combined-cycle gas turbine power plants that will mainly serve what is being described as the world’s largest data center, built for Meta. Entergy+1

Highlights:

• Two new state-of-the-art combined-cycle units, designed for high efficiency and reliability. Entergy+1

• Approved recently by the Louisiana Public Service Commission, with construction officially starting on December 1, 2025. Entergy+1

• Core purpose: meeting the massive, always-on load of a hyperscale AI data center, while supporting regional growth. https://www.knoe.com

This is a very clear signal: digital infrastructure (AI, cloud, data centers) is now directly reshaping energy infrastructure planning in North America.

1.5 New York State: a portfolio of distributed solar-plus-storage projects

In New York State, PowerBank has announced a safe harbor portfolio of 15 distributed solar and energy storage projects, progressing under a single development platform. Powerbank Corporation

While each site is smaller than the mega-projects in the desert Southwest, the model is important:

• Multiple sites, distributed across New York, combining solar and storage. Powerbank Corporation

• Structuring and financing as a portfolio to optimize risk, tax treatment, and delivery. Powerbank Corporation

For installers, civil contractors, battery integrators, and local utilities, this kind of replicated model can generate repeat, standardized work and long-term service contracts.

2. Nuclear & AI: The Next Layer of Infrastructure

2.1 Idaho: a proposed nuclear-powered AI data center campus

One of the most talked-about proposals this month is coming from Deep Atomic, an SMR (small modular reactor) developer. The company has submitted a proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy for what could become the first fully integrated nuclear-powered AI data center campus at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). DataCenterDynamics+2ExchangeMonitor+2

Core idea:

• Build a small modular reactor on the INL site and directly couple it to a hyperscale AI data center, creating a national demonstration site for nuclear-powered computing. DataCenterDynamics+2ExchangeMonitor+2

• Position the project as a template for future nuclear-powered AI infrastructure across North America. DataCenterDynamics+2ExchangeMonitor+2

The proposal is still in its early stages and will face technical, regulatory, and public-acceptance scrutiny, but the direction is clear: AI and nuclear are starting to share the same planning table.

2.2 Canada’s “nation-building” project pipeline

While not limited to December, Canada’s federal government has, over the last weeks, moved forward with a second tranche of “nation-building” projects under the new Major Projects Office, including major plans in nuclear power, LNG, critical minerals, and trade corridors. pm.gc.ca+1

Together with earlier approvals such as Ontario Power Generation’s Darlington small modular reactor project (the first SMR construction approval in North America) ans.org, this puts Canada on a path where nuclear, transmission, and heavy infrastructure are being treated as a single, strategic portfolio.

For EPC firms, equipment suppliers, and engineering consultancies, this is a long runway of work across reactors, ports, rail, and grid links.

3. Rail, Metro & Transit: Moving People, Unlocking Corridors

3.1 Austin, Texas: Project Connect light rail moves toward groundbreaking

In Austin, the long-discussed Project Connect light rail line has taken a major step toward actual construction. A recent report from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) granted the project an overall medium-high rating, reflecting strong local financial support and solid projected benefits for congestion and economic development. MySA

Project overview:

• Phase 1: nearly 10 miles of light rail.

• Around 15 stations, linking downtown Austin, the University of Texas, South Congress, and East Riverside. MySA

• Estimated capital cost: roughly $8.2 billion, with Austin aiming for about $4 billion in federal funding. MySA

• Construction is expected to start in 2027, with operations targeted for 2033. MySA

For contractors and rail suppliers, this is a long-duration, high-value program that will spin off stations, TOD (transit-oriented development), and related infrastructure work.

3.2 Toronto, Canada: Finch West LRT opens to riders

In Toronto, the Finch West Light Rail Transit line is entering service in early December 2025, adding a new rapid transit corridor across the northwest of the city. news.ontario.ca+1

Key features:

• Tens of thousands of daily riders; provincial sources estimate around 51,000 people will gain convenient, frequent transit along the corridor. Andrea Khanjin, MPP

• The line connects neighborhoods that were previously underserved, taking pressure off bus routes and major roadways. news.ontario.ca+1

It’s a reminder that not every impactful project is brand-new: some are long-gestating LRT lines that finally cross the finish line and start shaping commuting patterns in a very real way.

3.3 Boston & Washington, DC: Amtrak modernizes critical rail yards

Amtrak has broken ground on modernization projects at two major rail yards: Southampton Yard in Boston and Ivy City Yard in Washington, DC. Railway-News

Why this matters:

• These yards are the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that keeps intercity and high-speed services running.

• Upgrades include new maintenance facilities, reconfigured tracks, and capacity for the next generation of Airo trainsets and other modern rolling stock. Railway-News

For rail contractors, signaling specialists, and rolling stock suppliers, these yard upgrades are key pieces of the North American rail modernization puzzle.

4. Housing, Urban Regeneration & Mixed-Use Projects

4.1 Kansas City, Missouri: a solar-powered, affordable neighborhood

In Kansas City’s Historic Northeast, work has officially started on a $180 million, 22-acre redevelopment of the former Hardesty Army depot site. Axios

Project profile:

• A 12-story residential building with 395 apartments, 83% reserved for families earning 30–80% of area median income. Axios

• Built around a “family-first” neighborhood concept with community amenities. Axios

• Powered by a solar array and battery system designed to make the building energy-independent, so residents will not have electricity bills. Axios

• Completion is targeted for 2027, with developers now looking for vendors and partners. Axios

This project sits right at the intersection of social housing, sustainability, and brownfield regeneration. It is also a signal that solar-plus-storage is now moving from “nice add-on” to “core design feature” in some urban residential projects.

5. Policy Headwinds vs. Project Momentum

None of these projects exist in a vacuum. At the federal level, U.S. permitting policy has become more complex and, in some areas, openly hostile to large renewable projects. A recent investigation showed that under the current administration, approvals for major onshore wind and solar projects on federal lands have slowed sharply, with only one large solar project approved and dozens of gigawatts effectively stuck in limbo. Reuters

Yet, at the same time:

• States like Texas are hitting record solar shares. Reuters

• Cities and utilities are moving ahead with light rail, LRT, yard modernization, and combined-cycle plants for data centers. https://www.knoe.com+4MySA+4news.ontario.ca+4

• Nuclear and SMR concepts are being tied directly to future AI workloads and strategic export corridors in Canada and the U.S. ans.org+3DataCenterDynamics+3ExchangeMonitor+3

So the picture is messy but clear enough: political friction at the federal level is real, but local, state, and provincial project pipelines are still moving, especially where there is a direct link to economic growth, AI, housing, or energy security.

6. What this means for contractors, suppliers & investors

If you work in construction, energy, rail, or infrastructure, December 2025 is sending a few loud messages:

1. Hybrid is the new defaultSolar + storage, gas + data centers, nuclear + AI: projects are increasingly cross-sector. Being able to speak both “energy” and “digital” is becoming a competitive edge.

2. Mid-scale matters as much as mega-projectsThe Beardstown community solar project won’t make global headlines, but it quietly creates 20 years of local tax revenue and recurring O&M work. Jacksonville Journal-Courier

3. Transit and housing are still core political currencyFrom Austin’s light rail to Toronto’s Finch West LRT and Kansas City’s affordable housing redevelopment, governments are still judged on what people can see and ride, not just on policy press releases. MySA+2Andrea Khanjin, MPP+2

4. Data centers are rewriting the energy mapEntergy’s new plants in Louisiana and Deep Atomic’s proposal in Idaho are both driven by one thing: AI’s hunger for power. The grid of the 2030s will be designed around this demand pattern. Change.org+4Entergy+4https://www.knoe.com+4

7. Turning projects into real opportunities

Tracking these projects one by one through news sites and government pages is time-consuming. For companies that actually want to bid on construction, EPC, supply contracts or provide services around

them, you need a structured way to follow:

• New tenders and RFQs linked to these projects

• Awarded contracts, suppliers and subcontractors

• Follow-on works: expansions, upgrades, maintenance

This is where specialized tender and contract platforms matter. Systems like TendersGo aggregate public and private sector tenders, awards, and business opportunities from over 220 countries and 100+ languages into a single search environment, with daily updates and AI-powered filtering for sectors like energy, rail, construction, and urban development.

If you’re trying to turn “December headlines” into actual revenue in 2026 and beyond, having a global tender and contract intelligence platform in your toolkit is no longer a luxury. It’s the minimum.