AGP Executive Report

Defense Shipbuilding: The U.S. Navy awarded nearly $77B to build 14 nuclear submarines, including $42.1B for nine Virginia-class Block VI boats and $29.5B for five Columbia-class Build II boats, with major work tied to HII Newport News and Electric Boat. AUKUS/Industrial Base: Australia’s defense ministry selected Leidos Gibbs & Cox Australia to lead preliminary design for a contingency floating dry dock to support future Virginia-class sustainment under AUKUS. Data Centers/Water: A new Virginia DEQ study says no Coastal Plain location can support a major new groundwater withdrawal under current permitting standards, putting fresh pressure on water-heavy data center plans near I-95. Local Governance/Permitting: Botetourt County leaders move to independently assess water impacts from a planned Google data center drawing up to 2M gallons a day, amid drought fears. Life Sciences Funding: Gov. Spanberger announced $2.4M in non-dilutive grants via Virginia Catalyst to three biomedical startups. Food Safety: Publix expanded a recall of GreenWise frozen blueberries and mixed berries linked to an E. coli outbreak, including Virginia sales. Community/Workforce: A Pepco-Exelon program brought DC-area teens to a STEM career academy at the University of Maryland, College Park. Public Safety: Newport News identified two victims of a fatal July 24 residential fire and urged stronger home fire safety practices. Consumer/Health: A major analysis found antihistamines don’t meaningfully help eczema itch for most patients and may add cognitive side effects.

Fusion & Capital Markets: Commonwealth Fusion Systems added another $1B round and hired a former Moderna CFO, fueling talk of a faster path to an IPO as it pushes fusion milestones. Health & Medical Tech: UVA researchers say gliomas may be more receptive to focused ultrasound drug delivery, using MRI to measure performance inside tumors. Virginia Privacy Watch: A rarely tested Virginia privacy statute is drawing fresh lawsuits, putting retailers on notice about notice-and-consent duties tied to in-store data sharing. Public Safety & Consumer Alerts: Dole recalled certain salad bags after listeria concerns, including products sold in Virginia. Transportation & Commuting: VDOT is expanding a Park and Ride near Strasburg, boosting capacity and adding lighting and drainage ahead of a Feb. 2027 completion. Data Centers & Local Power: Virginia’s data-center boom keeps colliding with grid delays and local pushback, with regulators and lawmakers debating who pays and how projects should be governed. Defense & Shipbuilding: The Navy’s $76.6B submarine contract package accelerates Virginia- and Columbia-class construction, with major work at Newport News and Electric Boat. Regulated Products Enforcement: Virginia AG Jay Jones created a Regulated Products Enforcement Unit to crack down on vapes, THC, and kratom. Local Growth: Edenton outlined downtown upgrades tied to a new tech center of excellence, housing, and a renovated historic hotel.

Defense Shipbuilding: The Navy awarded $76.6B in new contracts to Huntington Ingalls and General Dynamics Electric Boat for additional Virginia-class Block VI and Columbia-class submarines, with Newport News Shipbuilding set to deliver multiple Virginia-class boats and modules. Airport Infrastructure: President Trump announced a $22.5B overhaul of Washington Dulles, including replacing the controversial “people movers” with an expanded rail and passenger tunnel plan. Energy & Power Demand: Commonwealth Fusion Systems raised $1B to finish its first fusion demo in Massachusetts and is planning a first commercial device site in Virginia, while broader reporting highlights how data centers strain water and electricity. Tech Supply Chain: Bipartisan senators urged Apple to avoid buying memory chips from blacklisted Chinese firms CXMT and YMTC, warning of reliance on a Pentagon-designated military-linked supplier. State Policy (Virginia): Virginia’s new 1% sales tax option for school construction/renovation is now available statewide via voter approval, with local referendums required by mid-August. Health Oversight: Virginia’s Department of Health rolled out a new nursing home oversight plan aimed at clearing survey backlogs and tightening enforcement.

Defense Shipbuilding: The Pentagon cleared the way for the Navy to negotiate a multiyear procurement contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat for nine Block VI Virginia-class attack submarines, targeting about $2.4B in savings by 2035 and extending Block VI production through 2035. Environmental Policy: Virginia’s expanded polystyrene food container ban moved into Phase 2, tightening rules on Styrofoam takeout statewide. Health & Research: VCU and partners reported a potential glioblastoma treatment pathway tied to the TRNAU1AP protein, aiming to make aggressive tumors more vulnerable to therapy. Local Government & Cleanup: Buena Vista City Council approved carryover funding to advance remediation planning for the former Bontex property and to cover lingering downtown streetscape and Magnolia Square costs. Education & Community: A Rockbridge County school turf project is pushing toward an Aug. 28 football opener, while a Sierra Club briefing highlighted data-center impacts on nearby residents. Aviation & Infrastructure: Reports say Trump plans a major Dulles International Airport makeover, including new terminals and removal of aging “people mover” systems. Public Safety Tech: Leidos won up to $717M to extend Air Force ISR support, with Virginia-based teams embedded across multiple locations.

Redistricting Vote: Virginians passed a redistricting amendment that reshapes congressional districts, with the new map set to guide lawmakers until the 2030 census. Transportation & Construction: Crews finished the Rayon Bridge replacement pier and are moving to abutments, with traffic impacts mainly limited to upcoming tie-in flagging; the project targets girders by end of 2026 and a summer 2027 opening. Data Centers & Power/Water: Botetourt County approved an independent commission to assess Google’s proposed data center campus impacts, while Loudoun-area residents keep pushing for transparency over noise and diesel fumes tied to the boom. Federal Legal Pressure: DC sued the Trump administration over a plan to move HUD offices to Virginia, arguing it violates congressional direction. Workforce & Education: NSF awarded funding to 14 universities, including Old Dominion University, to build AI and cybersecurity training pipelines through its CyberAICorps Scholarship for Service program. Solar Housing: Habitat for Humanity Virginia and GiveSolar hit 100 solar-powered homes statewide, including 20 in Harrisonburg/Rockingham. Local Economy: Christiansburg is debating limits on food trucks in downtown, weighing competition concerns from restaurants against the popularity of mobile vendors. Public Health: Radford-area tick risk remains high for Lyme season, with local guidance urging prevention and awareness.

Housing Market Watch: Arlington’s single-family detached resale market got busier and more competitive in the first half of 2026, but price growth stayed modest—average prices up 3.5% and median up 1.9%, the slowest pace since 2023, with 66% of homes selling within 10 days and 68% at or above asking. Defense & Manufacturing: L3Harris signed multi-year framework deals with DoD and Lockheed Martin to quadruple THAAD propulsion production and expand PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement propulsion output, building on existing solid-rocket motor work in Virginia and across the U.S. AI Infrastructure & Power Reliability: PJM says it will curtail data centers and other large users during power shortages after an auction fell short, with curtailments starting in June 2027 for facilities 50 MW+. Virginia Tech Research: Researchers at Virginia Tech developed a self-cleaning biosensor that could enable continuous monitoring of chronic wounds and infections. Public Safety Tech: York County used Flock cameras to identify and arrest a hit-and-run driver after a 7-year-old was struck near Route 17. Local Governance: Richmond advanced a ballot referendum for a 1% sales tax to fund school construction and renovations, sending the question to voters in November. Historic Preservation: Virginia DHR will dedicate a state historical marker for Big Stone Gap’s James A. Bland High School on Aug. 8. Retirement Savings: RetirePath Virginia expanded eligibility so more small businesses can be required to register and facilitate workplace retirement savings.

Data Centers & Power Costs: PJM, which runs Northern Virginia’s grid, says it will launch an emergency power auction in September to cover a projected 7-gigawatt shortfall for 2028, with costs allocated to data centers—another pressure point for Virginia Industry as the AI buildout strains electricity reliability. Local Governance & Water/Permitting: Virginia’s debate over data centers keeps heating up, with regulators and localities weighing how much power and water new projects should require and who pays for grid upgrades. Education Funding: Richmond voters will decide on a new 1% sales tax dedicated to Richmond Public Schools construction and major repairs, after City Council advanced the measure to the November ballot. Immigration Enforcement: ICE asked Gov. Abigail Spanberger and Virginia sanctuary politicians not to release a suspect accused of assaulting a woman in a Loudoun County park, tying the case to broader enforcement politics. Agriculture & Energy Prices: Southwest Virginia farmers say higher fuel costs tied to oil price spikes are squeezing already thin margins. Defense & Shipbuilding: HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding expanded distributed shipbuilding for amphibious ships, including early production work for the Navy’s LPD 32. Housing/Real Estate: An Orange County, Va. brick ranch with acreage and outbuildings is set for auction Aug. 3.

Defense & Space: Rocket Lab won a $266M U.S. Space Force contract to run 12 suborbital launches (with options for six more) from Kodiak’s Pacific Spaceport Complex through 2028, with new Narrow Cape infrastructure planned. Public Works & Transportation: VDOT scheduled overnight, up-to-four-hour full closures on I-64 west in Hampton for utility pole removal, plus other Hampton Roads bridge and interstate lane restrictions. Local Construction: Fauquier County starts Aug. 14 on a $1.8M Route 29/Route 600 intersection improvement in Culpeper District, with a Route 600 closure and detour through May 2027. Energy & Grid Pressure: Utilities and analysts keep spotlighting data-center-driven power demand; NextEra’s results and GE Vernova’s data-center orders underscore the “AI power bottleneck” race. Real Estate Tech: Hive MLS was named a finalist for the 2026 Inman Innovator Award. Agriculture: Goat and sheep sales are rising for small Virginia farmers as demand grows, especially among immigrant communities. Workforce & Policy: Virginia’s pay transparency law is changing job-posting rules, while school boards weigh staffing costs and benefits ahead of the new year.

Data Centers & Water: Virginia released a long-delayed study warning eastern groundwater declines are likely as population and industrial use rise, urging tighter rules on withdrawals and stronger permit oversight. Local Land-Use Fight: Fauquier’s planning commission again recommended rejecting the Gigaland data center campus, citing community health and quality-of-life concerns. Power & Broadband: Brightspeed is pushing multi-gig fiber buildouts in Carroll County, with construction underway across Hillsville and nearby areas. Housing Policy: New tenant-protection laws that took effect July 1 could reshape Charlottesville landlord-tenant dynamics, including eviction grace-period changes. Energy Prices: GasBuddy data shows Lynchburg’s lowest premium gas at $4.19 for the week ending July 18. Agritech Funding: Oxford-spun Moa Technology raised £22.2M to advance herbicide programs aimed at overcoming crop resistance. Health & Food Safety: A cyclospora outbreak tied to recalled iceberg lettuce has reached nearly 2,000 cases across 41 states, including Virginia domestic cases not linked to the main investigation.

Power & Grid Strain: Back-to-back heat waves are pushing U.S. electricity systems to the edge as data centers ramp up demand, with PJM and other grid operators warning of tipping points. Virginia Energy Infrastructure: Dominion’s proposed Nokesville-to-Bristow transmission line is drawing intense rural opposition at a community open house, with farmers arguing for burial and warning of major property and health impacts. Data Centers & Policy Fight: A new federal push would require data centers to run backup generators during grid emergencies, while legal and regulatory battles continue over how AI facilities affect air quality, water, and local costs. Local Land-Use Pressure: Rowan County’s data-center moratorium is under renewed scrutiny as residents press for stronger rules on noise, water, power demand, and property impacts. Food Safety: Amy’s Kitchen recalled 184,200 cans of organic lentil soup in multiple states due to a pull-tab seal defect that could lead to spoilage. Tech & Security: Deepfake ads are hitting influencers nationwide, underscoring growing fraud risk tied to AI impersonation.

Data Centers & Power: Politico reports Virginia regulators moved fast to defend a Loudoun County data center that runs on natural gas and backup diesel, after an analysis warned of harmful air pollution from its turbines—highlighting the fight over who pays for grid upgrades as AI load surges. Grid Reliability: A PJM restoration delay near Washington was tied to a sudden ~3 GW drop in data center consumption, causing flickers and underscoring how fragile demand coordination can be. Energy Costs & Politics: The White House is pushing a voluntary pledge with governors and utilities to keep data-center-driven utility bills from rising for consumers, but analysts question whether savings will show up. Local Housing & Energy Savings: Habitat for Humanity hit its 100th Virginia solar-roof home in Ashland, aiming to cut monthly utility costs by about $70–$80. Food Safety: Amy’s Organic Lentil Soup (184,200 cans) was recalled over a pull-tab spoilage risk, with distribution across multiple states including Virginia. Fuel Watch: GasBuddy price checks show midgrade and diesel deals in parts of Virginia, with Henrico midgrade hitting a low of $3.88 and Goochland diesel at $4.75.

Virginia Transportation Board: The board approved stricter oversight rules for the state’s Transportation Partnership Opportunity Fund, extending review timelines and lowering thresholds that trigger extra scrutiny—aimed at improving lawmakers’ visibility into major economic-development projects. Data Centers & Power Strain: Virginia’s data-center boom is running into grid delays, with some developers pushing “behind-the-meter” generation to escape multi-year hookup waits, while critics warn it could undercut clean-energy goals and raise local pollution and noise concerns. Grid Reliability Test: A PJM disturbance near Washington showed how a sudden ~3 GW drop from data centers can slow fault recovery and cause flickers—another reminder that large loads can destabilize the system. Ratepayer Backlash: Trump expanded a pledge to keep data-center-driven utility costs off consumers’ bills, escalating the political fight over who pays for transmission upgrades. Local Permitting Fight: Waynesboro residents urged DEQ to halt or tighten Northrop Grumman’s air-permit process, citing health fears tied to proposed hazardous air pollutant caps. Offshore Minerals: BOEM extended Virginia’s Eastern Shore mineral-mining comment period through Aug. 22, giving residents and tribes more time to weigh potential impacts. Tech in Schools: Across the U.S., some districts are rolling back tech-first classroom policies after finding laptops and screens can worsen student outcomes.

Data Centers & Power Strain: A transmission fault in Ashburn’s “Data Center Alley” triggered hyperscale sites to shift to backup power, briefly removing over 3 GW from the PJM grid—another reminder that Virginia’s AI buildout is stressing the grid. Water & Groundwater: Virginia finally released a long-delayed study warning groundwater declines are likely in a key aquifer in the eastern region, urging tighter rules on industrial water withdrawals and stronger permit oversight. Local Permitting Push: Pittsylvania County backed expedited state permitting for a Berry Hill megasite data center, arguing it’s not a lighter review—just priority processing for selected projects. Community Backlash in Danville: Virginia senators Lucas and Locke heard residents’ concerns in a listening tour stop, with worries centered on air quality, water impacts, and public health as major projects expand. Offshore Minerals: BOEM extended the public comment period for proposed offshore Virginia mineral mining by 30 days, now running through Aug. 22. Housing Outlook: A local explainer lays out five forces likely to shape the next decade of the housing market, from rezonings to whether approved projects actually get built. Healthcare Legal Fight: A Virginia federal judge ordered the FDA to reconsider 2023 mifepristone restrictions, and AG Jay Jones filed an amicus brief supporting continued access as the case returns to the Fifth Circuit.

Data Center Cost Fight: Trump expanded a “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” with governors and utilities, promising data centers won’t drive up household bills—while critics warn the math may still land on consumers. Grid Strain in Virginia: A PJM voltage disturbance tied to northern Virginia data center load drops left about 3 GW offline and raised fresh questions about reliability as demand spikes. Local Transparency Pressure: Reports say Virginia regulators downplayed data center health concerns, adding fuel to the debate over environmental planning and permitting. Energy Policy Watch: DOE’s draft transmission needs study flags AI data centers as the new driver of major grid buildout, shifting planning priorities. Consumer Alerts: BBB Central Virginia warned about social gaming and sweepstakes complaints tied to Crown Coins Casino. Food Safety: Amy’s Kitchen recalled Organic Lentil Soup due to potential spoilage risk. Workforce & Veterans: Virginia marked National Hire a Veteran Day with a statewide push to match veterans and military spouses to in-demand jobs. Health: U.S. measles cases hit a 35-year high, with most patients unvaccinated.

Data Centers & Power Costs: A new “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” is expanding with 23 GOP governors and major tech firms, aiming to keep grid upgrade bills from landing on utility customers as AI-driven demand strains systems. Local Governance: Virginia’s data-center fight keeps heating up, with Louisa County residents pressing an Amazon project lawsuit in federal court over alleged water and quality-of-life impacts. Energy & Solar: Altus Power and New Leaf Energy announced five community solar projects in Virginia (32 MW) to deliver bill credits to about 5,000 homes. Agriculture & Forestry: USDA is backing Tahoe Forest Products with $50M in guaranteed loans to expand timber processing in Carson City, boosting lumber output and forest health. Trade & Industry: Gov. Spanberger wrapped a UK trade mission, meeting 30+ companies across aerospace, defense, biopharma, agriculture and forestry, with further stops planned in Italy and France. Consumer Safety: Amy’s Kitchen recalled 184,200 cans of lentil soup in 27 states after a pull-tab defect raised spoilage risk.

Data Centers & Grid Reliability: A transmission-line fault in Ashburn’s “Data Center Alley” triggered hyperscale sites to switch to backup power, dropping more than 3 GW from PJM in seconds—Dominion says it was normal protection switching, not load shedding. Energy Costs & Policy Fight: A new “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” is drawing governors and utilities, but critics argue tariff rules still risk shifting grid upgrade costs onto households; Virginia is also weighing how to allocate power-grid upgrade costs tied to data center growth. State Theater Renovations: Hertford Town Council tabled an MOU for the State Theater renovation, asking for revised language—town will handle construction activities while the nonprofit foundation leads fundraising and marketing. Defense & Manufacturing: Virginia-based CoAspire won a $70M Navy prototype deal to develop an affordable ground-launched cruise missile for allies, with a reported ~900 km potential range. Pharma Supply Chain: Phlow welcomed a $15.97M EDA investment to build an end-to-end domestic commercialization pathway for medicines, linking API and finished-dose manufacturing to regulatory approval. Local Business Finance: Carter Bankshares approved a $0.10 quarterly dividend; HomeTrust Bancshares reported Q2 results and a higher dividend. Agriculture & Innovation: Moa Technology raised £22.2M to advance novel herbicide programs toward commercialization.