Baton Rouge Business Report

The Trump administration canceled over $7.5 billion in Biden-era federal grants for clean energy projects, with court documents revealing the decision was based solely on whether states supported President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The move targeted states represented by Democrats and those backing Kamala Harris, as detailed in a lawsuit filed by California researchers challenging the funding cuts.

Baton Rouge's commercial real estate market cooled in June with declining sales volume and transaction activity for the second consecutive month, according to Elif's data.

LSU is projected to finish fifth in the SEC this season, with Georgia predicted as the champion. Two small businesses sued the Trump administration over newly imposed tariffs, and the Port of Long Beach plans to explore building a nuclear reactor to power the port.

Chicky Sandos, a Baton Rouge-based restaurant chain specializing in Nashville-style hot chicken sandwiches, has closed its Florida Boulevard location. The business announced the closure via social media.

Louisiana ranks 13th among U.S. states for five-year business survival, outperforming Texas and neighboring states. The finding is based on a new analysis of federal labor data.

John Fleming, Louisiana State Treasurer, reflects on his U.S. Senate race, stating he has no regrets despite facing opposition from Donald Trump, the Louisiana Governor, and political infrastructure. He claims his self-funded campaign led in polls for five weeks before the runoff. Fleming also discusses carbon capture as a potential issue in future Louisiana elections and mentions a Senator John Kennedy quote about foreign shrimp and oysters.

A company purchased a 10.17-acre undeveloped tract near the Woodridge subdivision for $4.5 million to build an 112,500-square-foot office and warehouse facility. The land is located behind Sunshine Quality Rentals and adjacent to the Woodridge subdivision.

Louisiana low-income students can now receive Pell Grants for short-term workforce training in fields like carpentry and HVAC. New U.S. tariffs ranging from 10% to 12.5% affect 60 countries, replacing Trump's expired tariffs. The U.S. Department of Energy authorized Argent LNG to export 25 million metric tons of LNG annually from Port Fourchon.

The average 30-year U.S. mortgage rate reached 6.58%, the highest level in nearly 12 months, according to Freddie Mac. The rate increased for the third consecutive week, with the 15-year fixed-rate mortgage also rising. Higher borrowing costs are linked to factors like Federal Reserve policy, bond market expectations, and the 10-year Treasury yield.

PJ’s Coffee, a New Orleans-style coffee chain, is opening a new location at 3384 Government Street in Baton Rouge near Acadian Thruway. The chain already operates one other freestanding location.

The city-parish government has filed to intervene in LRK LLC’s lawsuit against St. George. Mayor Sid Edwards publicly opposes the move, criticizing the filing.

Monty Sullivan, former president of Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges, is leading North Carolina's community college system. His tenure in Louisiana included doubling enrollment and securing over $500 million for workforce training.

Nexus Louisiana will begin operating from its new downtown Baton Rouge headquarters at 440 on Third starting Aug. 15, following supply chain delays that caused weeks of remote work.

Interest in career changes is rising in the U.S., with real estate agent, notary, firefighter, therapist, and pilot being the most searched professions. Technology roles are largely absent from top searches, and real estate's popularity may stem from its entrepreneurial appeal. Searchbloom analyzed Google search data to identify these trends.

President Donald Trump is urging governors and electricity companies to join a voluntary pledge to prevent rising utility bills caused by data centers, as backlash grows over AI-driven infrastructure costs. The expanded pledge, covering 80% of US power delivered to households and businesses, aims to address concerns about affordability and competition for resources with tech companies.

The Metro Council unanimously approved Visit Baton Rouge's request to increase River Center rental fee waivers for 2027 as part of efforts to host Olympic boxing trials. The decision was made without discussion during a council meeting.

Mosaic Fertilizer and Tampa Port Services agreed to a $103,000 federal penalty for an ammonia release incident. Eli Lilly's experimental obesity drug retatrutide showed no increased heart risk in a safety study. U.S. jobless claims fell to 187,000, the lowest since 1969.

Louisiana is considering its first statewide property valuation standards for data centers to address billions in technology investments. The proposal, led by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, would assign three- and eight-year economic lives to computing equipment and infrastructure, respectively, to reflect obsolescence rates. It would not impact existing payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreements like Meta’s Richland Parish AI data center but could influence future projects.

Precision Fab is expanding its operations in Ascension Parish with a $2.5 million to $2.7 million investment in a new 12,500-square-foot facility on La. 30. The expansion aims to support larger industrial projects, create jobs, and meet growing demand driven by increased industrial investment in the area.

Extreme heat is increasingly disrupting businesses, with North America experiencing twice as many heat waves since the mid-20th century. Utilities are modernizing power grids to meet air-conditioning demand, while AI data centers drive growth in cooling technologies. Construction and transportation sectors face rising costs and productivity challenges due to heat-related disruptions.