Dive Brief: Hiring fell last month and unemployment rose to 4.3%, the Labor Department said Friday in a report that primed the Federal Reserve for a reduction in the main interest rate at its next scheduled policy meeting on Sept. 16-17. Employers added a less-than-forecast 22,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department said, while noting in a revision that payrolls in June shrunk by 13,000 jobs in the first such decline since December 2020. “This report green lights a September Federal Open Market Committee easing and implies further action will be required to stabilize the labor market before year end,” Pantheon Macroeconomics Chief U.S. Economist Samuel Tombs said in a client note. The data “make us more confident that the FOMC will ease” the benchmark rate by 0.75 percentage point by December and by 0.75 percentage point next year, he said. Dive Insight: The newest data showing labor market weakness puts at loggerheads both sides of the Fed’s dual mandate to maintain stable prices and ensure maximum employment. The U.S. has expanded payrolls by just 598,000 in 2025, the slowest increase of any year since the pandemic. Meanwhile, inflation, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures price index minus food and energy prices, edged up in July to 2.9%, well above the Fed’s 2% inflation target. Labor market weakness has prompted several Fed officials during the past several weeks to focus less on reducing price pressures and favor aiding the labor market with looser monetary policy. Two Fed governors dissented from a July 30 FOMC vote to leave the federal funds rate unchanged, saying weak hiring warranted a reduction in borrowing costs. The central bank for five consecutive policy meetings this year has held the federal funds rate at a range between 4.25% and 4.5%. Last month Fed Chair Jerome Powell,

Alex Thornton is executive director of LF Energy. Late last fall, my neighbors and I received a notice from our utility, Pacific Gas & Electric, informing us of proposed rate increases from an eye watering $761.3 million Billing Modernization Initiative. Digging further into their filing with the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E highlights the need to update a profoundly outdated system, featuring a potpourri of vendor and custom in-house software from the 1990s and 2000s, much of it written in a programming language (COBOL) that peaked in popularity last century and for which there are vanishingly few engineers with expertise in it. Additionally, the filing highlights that the billing system has been unable to keep pace with regulatory needs, forcing delays and complex workarounds. In brief, PG&E’s key digital systems are unable to satisfy business needs and therefore need an expensive overhaul, raising customer rates. As a result, my monthly electric bill is going up. I pick on PG&E because I’m their customer and they offer a good example, not because they are an industry exception. Most utilities and regulators struggle with these very same digital modernization challenges. Billing is a core function for any business. If utilities can’t maintain their core systems, then how can they be expected to roll out and operate more advanced digital functionality such as dynamic rates, distributed energy resource orchestration, virtual power plants, demand response programs, electric vehicle charging optimization and AI, all while defending against ever-increasing cyber security attacks and maintaining affordability? Short answer: they can’t, not without a serious culture change to become technology companies that embrace best practices for digital innovation. As part of their CPUC filing, PG&E notes that Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric launched similar billing system upgrades in 2016 and 2017, respectively. This key point

In a statement sent to Rigzone recently, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen announced that it had launched the 2026 Offshore Achievement Awards (OAA). The awards “celebrat[e]… excellence across the energy spectrum”, according to the statement, which highlighted that next year’s iteration marks the 39th “year of recognizing outstanding achievements that drive innovation and excellence across the offshore energy industry”. “Building on the success of previous years, the 2026 OAAs continue to reward groundbreaking technologies, exceptional company growth, and the remarkable contributions of individuals who shape the future of energy,” SPE Aberdeen said in the statement. “From emerging innovators to industry veterans, the awards celebrate those who demonstrate excellence, leadership, and vision in advancing the sector,” it added. Entries are now open to all UK registered companies operating within the oil and gas and renewables sectors, the statement noted. The ceremony will take place on March 5 in Aberdeen, the statement revealed. The 2026 award categories “span the full breadth of offshore energy achievements”, the statement said. They can be seen in full below: Emerging Technology  Field Proven Technology  Collaboration  Sustainability  Skills Development  Offshore Workplace of Choice  Inclusivity Champion  Industry Expert  Young Professionals  Industry Returner/Transferer  Significant Contribution “The energy industry continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, and the OAAs evolve with it,” Graham Dallas, Chair of the Offshore Achievement Awards Committee, said in the statement.  “These awards provide a vital platform to showcase the innovations, partnerships, and individual excellence that will define our industry’s future. We encourage organizations and individuals across the entire energy spectrum to share their success stories,” Dallas added. “We’re thrilled to have Bilfinger return as Principal Sponsor for the second year running. Their ongoing support reinforces our shared commitment to celebrating the innovations and individuals driving our industry forward,” he continued. Rod Agnew, Vice President

Delta Air Lines, in cooperation with Shell plc and Portland International Airport (PDX), has taken delivery of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for the PDX fuel system. Delta said in a media release that this marks the first commercial-scale SAF uplift at PDX, owned and operated by the Port of Portland. Shell supplied the batch of more than 400,000 gallons of neat SAF to Zenith Terminal in Portland, where it was blended with traditional jet fuel to meet regulatory requirements, before being delivered to PDX via barge, truck, and pipeline, Delta said. The blended SAF entered the airport’s privately owned fuel supply system earlier this month. “Every SAF delivery is a powerful example of how industry collaboration can unlock markets for sustainable aviation fuel”, Charlotte Lollar, Delta’s SAF director, said. “By working with Shell and the Port of Portland to tap into existing infrastructure, we’re able to access SAF at more airports and continue to prove its viability and ultimately scale it in a way the industry needs”. “We’re excited about this step toward bringing sustainable aviation fuel to PDX. It’s a move that can help improve local air quality and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, which is great news for our communities”, Dan Pippenger, Port of Portland Chief Aviation Officer, said. Delta noted SAF is a renewable jet fuel that reduces lifecycle emissions by over 80 percent, and is compatible with existing infrastructure and aircraft engines. Production is still nascent, expensive, and scarce, amounting to less than a week’s worth of global flights, it said. Locally, Delta said it collaborates with the Port of Portland and others to establish a SAF market. Federally, Delta advocates for incentives to boost production and affordability, including the 40B SAF Blenders Tax Credit and the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, extended through 2029,

ContourGlobal said it had started operations at the first phase of the Black Hollow Sun (BHS) complex in Severance, Colorado, unlocking 185 megawatts peak (MWp) out of a planned 324 MWp. BHS I has now begun supplying Platte River Power Authority, while BHS II is under construction and expected to go onstream 2026. “BHS I represents ContourGlobal’s first operating renewable plant in the United States and the initial phase of the Black Hollow Sun complex, which will also include BHS II (139 MWp)”, ContourGlobal, acquired by New York City-headquartered global investor KKR in 2022, said in a statement on its website. “When fully completed in 2026, the power complex will reach a total capacity of 324 MWp, making it Northern Colorado’s largest solar project and Platte River’s largest contracted solar asset. “Once fully operational, the complex will produce around 608 GWh of clean energy each year, which will be delivered to Platte River Power Authority, the community-owned utility serving Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park and Longmont”. “This is enough clean electricity to power more than 73,000 homes in Northern Colorado while avoiding almost 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year”, ContouGlobal said. The household capacity was based on an estimated 8,304 kilowatt hours of annual energy consumption by a typical Colorado household. The emissions avoidance was based on the most updated grid emission data and Colorado Clean Energy Plan reporting methods, according to ContourGlobal. “Both phases were designed to integrate seamlessly through shared infrastructure, optimizing land use and technical efficiency”, ContourGlobal said. “As part of its 20-year presence in the U.S. energy, ContourGlobal is using American-manufactured solar modules supplied by its partner Qcells, which is also providing its integrated EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) solutions for this project”, it said. According to the company, it has 2.8 gigawatts (GW) of

Argan Inc., primarily involved in construction and related services in the power sector, has reported $35.28 million in net income for the second quarter of fiscal year 2026, up 93.84 percent from the same three-month period a year ago. Earnings per share assuming dilution landed at $2.5. The New York Stock Exchange-listed company declared a dividend of $0.375 per share for the quarter ended July 2025, up from $0.3 for the corresponding prior-year period. Revenue rose 4.73 percent year-on-year to $237.74 million. EBITDA increased 45.82 percent to $36.23 million, representing 15.2 percent of revenue. Income before income taxes was $35.64 million, up 46.76 percent year-over-year. “The increase in the number of current projects and contract backlog has resulted in increased project activity and the related revenues compared to the prior-year quarter”, the Arlington, Virginia-based company, which also provides industrial construction services and telecommunications solutions, said in a statement on its website. “During the second quarter of fiscal 2026, several recently awarded power plant projects were in their early stages of activity with limited revenues, while the company’s mature projects continued to generate significant activity”. Argan president and chief executive David Watson said, “Additionally, demand for our capabilities across all of our business segments remains strong, with record backlog of $2.0 billion”. “We achieved a few project milestones in the quarter, reflecting excellent execution and solid progress within our project base”, Watson added. “During the quarter, we completed our LNG project in Louisiana and achieved first fire at one of our Trumbull units, followed by first fire at the second Trumbull unit occurring in August. “Several of our renewable projects advanced meaningfully this summer, as cooperative weather allowed us to make significant progress”. “Argan remains well-positioned to benefit from the current demand environment as the industry responds to the urgent need