Electical Contractor

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association Electroindustry Business Confidence Index (EBCI) for current North American conditions jumped nearly 12 points to 53.3 in August, an indication that the business environment facing electrical equipment manufacturers improved during the month.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (the economic stimulus plan) appears to be having little influence on construction companies’ ability to expand payrolls to date, according to a new industry analysis of the effect of the federal program’s construction spending released by the Associated Ge

Americans used more solar, nuclear, biomass and wind energy in 2008 than they did in 2007, according to the most recent energy flow charts released by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL).

With all the dismal economic news, it is encouraging to hear that people are somewhat more satisfied this year than last with cost and service from electric companies, which is according to a study from marketing information service provider J.D. Power and Associates.

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association’s index for incandescent lamps registered a reading of 59.4 for the second quarter of 2009, which is essentially unchanged from the first three months of the year. However, the index decreased 11.8 percent on a year-over-year basis.

Nationwide housing starts rebounded in May from record lows in the previous month, posting a 17.2 percent gain to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 532,000 units, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures.

Wind power may have the potential to drastically alter our nation’s electricity consumption and reduce harmful emissions of greenhouse gases, but it will be of little use to energy consumers if the power generated can’t travel easily from the turbine to the plug.

One of the greatest advantages of the evolution of new, high-speed digital technology has been the ability to stay connected, informed and entertained in the home. Case in point, before the Internet, “telecommute” was not a household word.

According to a recent study by Frost & Sullivan, a major international industry research firm, renewable energy is gaining ground in North America as global in-ground fossil fuel reserves continue to dwindle and oil prices fluctuate.