Electical Contractor

For years, the United States has been looking for ways to end its addiction to fossil fuels and create a greener, cleaner and safer environment.

Some partnerships aren’t only good for the parties involved. When they give back to their industry, they’re good for everyone.

The construction industry lost 7,000 jobs in March, following a similar decline of 6,000 jobs in February, inching the unemployment rate up to 17.2 percent, according to the April 6, 2012, Department of Labor employment report.

In this age of energy transformation, the role of public opinion is clear. Although it does not make or break a particular energy source itself, it can serve as a reliable barometer for the future.

Many companies will remember 2011 for its ups and downs, but history might also label it as the year electrical contractors (ECs) embraced social media. Cupertino Electric Inc., San Jose, Calif., got into the game in a big way last year.

Renewable power has the potential to transform our energy consumption, but like most innovations, it has a downside. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to a renewable-powered society is the intermittent nature of its generation.

While speaking to an audience at the Daimler Truck factory in Mt. Holly, N.C., President Obama launched EV-Everywhere, the second in a series of Energy Department “Clean Energy Grand Challenges” aimed at addressing ongoing energy challenges.

As we transform into a high-tech, renewable-powered society, so must the grid we rely on to deliver our energy. Concurrent with those changes, the smart grid has emerged as the power delivery system for a new age.

In the long-running battle for the nation’s energy soul between green power and fossil fuels, victories are taken in measure. Despite their emergent success in recent years, renewables still have a long way to go to become the predominant power source.