Many of today’s common english idioms can be traced back to Shakespeare. The phrase “with bated breath” comes from “The Merchant of Venice,” spoken by Shylock in Act 1. The word “bated” is even older and refers to placing a wooden ball on the end of a sword to blunt it, and should not be confused with the fishier “baited.”
We’re sure you’ve all been waiting for Part 2 of the Profile of the Electrical Contractor with bated breath (and hopefully not baited breath—that sounds unpleasant, unless you really like sushi). We’re delighted to share our findings with you this month. Read what we learned about how you do your work, your team structures and how you specify products on page 20. We found that the work you do is central to everything in construction—a theme explored by this month’s cheeky magazine cover.
When the power goes out, it’s time for the standby power systems to kick in. Backup generators have been the go-to for decades, but battery energy storage systems (BESS) are now sharing that spotlight. Read more about this growth in “Whoa, BESSy” by Chuck Ross on page 30.
Susan DeGrane dives back in to the growing field of power over ethernet and all its different applications, from home systems to large stadiums. “At the Center of PoE” is on page 40.
Smart buildings need smart infrastructure. In “Weaving the Web,” Jeff Beavers tells us how to use MasterFormat Division 25 and a structured risk management framework to help your smart infrastructure project be successful and secure. Read it on page 82.
This month, we also take you to Kansas City, Mo., to learn how Capital Electric Line Builders worked on an extension of the KC Streetcar to help residents access even more of what the city has to offer. Read “Taking It to the Streets” by Susan Bloom on page 46.
What do you want to learn from ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR magazine in 2027? The Profile of the Electrical Contractor tells us what you’re interested in, and we use that to help guide what topics we cover in the magazine (including the topics in this month’s issue). But we want to hear what else is concerning you. Tell us what’s on your mind at [email protected]. We will be waiting for your input with bated breath.
