Electical Contractor

Sacramento, California, is searching for ways to increase efficiency and keep cool.

Despite a plethora of foreboding trends lurking over the continent like an ominous black cloud—global climate change, escalating demand, aging and inadequate infrastructure—the outlook for North American electricity reliability for the coming summer season is surprisingly good.

It may sound odd when I say a week-long event completed a couple of months ago left a legacy. However, a legacy can be defined as something from the past that enriches beneficiaries in the present and future, and I believe the 2007 Solar Decathlon will provide benefits well beyond its duration.

At approximately 2 pm on Friday, August 24, 2007, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Standards Executive Director Brooke Stauffer and his fiancée, Karen Dodds, went missing as she flew her small, single-engine plane over Lake Huron.

"Think NECA” will be a highly visible theme when America’s leading power system, lighting and cabling exposition is held in San Francisco next month. It is intended to encourage industry participants to look to our association for training, education and networking.

News about the events and learning opportunities planned for NECA 2007 San Francisco are featured in both the Industry Watch and NECA Notes sections of the magazine this month. This double exposure indicates that excitement is heating up.

With America’s most populous state leading the nation in the use of solar and other energy alternatives, the term “Sunny California” is even more appropriate.

"NECA 100-2006, Standard for Symbols for Electrical Construction Drawings” has been revised and updated. This ANSI-approved standard describes graphic symbols used to represent electrical wiring and equipment on construction drawings.

NECA has been developing and participating in work force recruiting, training and retention efforts for more than 60 years to meet demands for skilled electrical workers.