Following the unprecedented power blackout by PG&E during the week of Oct. 7 that affected almost 800,000 homes and businesses, up to a total of 2 million people in the state, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)...
It was an incredibly tough competition in this year’s Ideal National Championship, held Nov. 7–9, but the winners took home big bucks for their trouble. Qualifying rounds across the country drew one of the largest pools of...
Wind power has made great advances in recent years. The industry has more opportunities to expand, and the federal government is doing its part to support and encourage that growth. Last month, the Department of Energy (DOE)...
On Nov. 7, Donald Norcross and Andy Kim, two U.S. Democratic Congressmen from New Jersey, announced the Bringing Registered Apprenticeships to Veterans Education (BRAVE) Act, which if enacted, would ensure that all...
While the U.S. electric sector has so far been able to keep hackers from actually disrupting operations, experts say that it is only a matter of time. Adding to the concern is that, according to Argonne National Laboratory,...
Dodge Data & Analytics released its 2020 Dodge Construction Outlook , reporting that U.S. construction starts will slip to $776 billion in 2020, a decline of 4% from 2019’s estimated level of activity. “The recovery in...
Amid slowing U.S. wage growth overall, the labor-starved construction industry stands out amongst the rest with electricians especially benefitting. For all industries, annual wage growth in October was 2.1%, unchanged from a...
Last month, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) conducted forced power shutoffs to avoid triggering wildfires during extreme weather conditions. They were met with a loud chorus of objections from customers and public officials...
For electrical contractors involved in building-related energy management, such as sensors, analytics, and smart controls, a new opportunity in a burgeoning technology, according to a new report published by the National...
Institutions of higher education are large energy users. Campus buildings house and feed countless students, and fleets of university buses and shuttles move students and faculty members around campus. To combat this high...
At the end of 2017, two energy-efficient tax incentives expired. One, in section 25C of the tax code, provided a tax credit to homeowners that covered part of the cost of energy-efficient upgrades, including air conditioners,...
Despite rising popularity and growing market share, renewables still face delays. A massive wind farm project proposed for Wyoming has been in the works for over 10 years. On Oct. 21 , Chokecherry and Sierra Madre project...
According to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC), enacted in 2006, has created over 200,000 jobs and $140 billion in private sector investment. However, the ITC is scheduled...
Technology company Itron, Inc., Liberty Lake, Wash., released Disaster Preparedness: Itron Resourcefulness Insight Report that details the results of a survey of 300 utility executives and 500 consumer utility ratepayers. The...
Silicon Valley is known for disruption, so when the mayor of the high-tech industry’s hometown, San Jose, suggested a split from the major utility there, it wasn't entirely out of character. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)...
FPL SolarTogether, a new project announced by Florida Power & Light (FPL) is expected to almost double the amount of community solar online in the United States. Currently, there are 1,523 megawatts (MW) of community solar...
In September, the United Nations Economic Council on Europe (UNECE) and Pittsburgh’s Green Building Alliance (GBA) agreed to establish Pittsburgh’s International Centre of Excellence on High Performance Buildings. Following...
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s a solar farm coming to Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia. One of the D.C. region’s airports may soon feature one of the largest solar facilities in Northern...
While urban areas may have benefitted from the technology transformation, many rural areas have not. Recognizing this gap, the federal government has created a low interest loan program to help finance electric transmission...
Contractors are increasingly getting involved in workforce development initiatives aimed to attract more millennials and Gen Zers to the industry. In California, an industry coalition is stepping up recruitment efforts with...
