Federal Spending Report — 2026-07-01
Federal Spending Report: July 1, 2026
The federal government obligated $138.3 million across 29 awards on July 1, 2026, with a single energy infrastructure grant dominating the spending day. The Department of Energy's $123 million award to South32 Hermosa Inc in Arizona accounted for nearly 89% of total obligations, making it an outsized spending event concentrated in mineral extraction and processing infrastructure.
South32 Hermosa Inc's grant dwarfed all other recipients by a substantial margin. The next-largest award—a $8.6 million grant to Tennessee's Department of Environment & Conservation—represented just 7% of the top award's value. The remaining three spots in the top five went to academic and wildlife institutions: Ohio State University ($1.1M), the University of Pittsburgh ($757k), and New Hampshire Fish & Game ($897k), collectively accounting for less than 2% of total obligations.
The contractor base remained highly fragmented, with 27 unique recipients across 29 awards. The top five contractors collectively received $134.3 million, leaving just $4 million distributed among the remaining 22 contractors. This concentration reflects the dominance of the single Energy Department award rather than a pattern of repeat contracting relationships.
Five federal agencies participated in July 1st spending, with the Department of Energy and Department of the Interior commanding the vast majority of funds. The Interior Department distributed $9.9 million across five separate awards focused on environmental conservation and wildlife management. The Department of Health and Human Services allocated $1.9 million toward three grants supporting research at universities, while the National Science Foundation distributed $1.6 million across five awards.
Nearly all obligations took the form of grants rather than traditional contracts or direct payments. Of the 29 awards, 25 were grants totaling $138.3 million, while just four direct payment obligations worth approximately $4 total were issued. Geographically, Arizona's dominance mirrored the spending concentration, with the state receiving 89% of the day's total obligations. Tennessee, Ohio, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire captured the remaining funds, each receiving less than $2 million.