Questions about the ability of Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) to withstand the tremendous liability it incurred from a series of unprecedented wildfires have now been answered. The Northern California utility has announced it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Although electrical contractors (ECs) aren't yet in the majority when they use high-tech gadgets, a recent survey shows adoption rates are going up. Now is an ideal time for ECs to become familiar with what's available. Here...
According to a memo that Bloomberg uncovered using the Freedom of Information Act, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is considering taking to the air with camera-equipped drones as a way to gather more...
Increasingly, electrical contractors who are involved in new construction work may find where they are expected to show up to work, and what they are expected to do, will change significantly. A new report, " Report of the...
Next-gen nuclear reactors are coming. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) this month said that it intends to contract with American Centrifuge Operating LLC, subsidiary of Centrus Energy Corp., for the demonstration of high...
Now in its third week, the partial shutdown of the federal government has left many contractors unsure of how to proceed and, once the shutdown ends, what remedies, if any, they will have for time lost and costs incurred. NECA has partnered with the law firm of Smith, Currie & Hancock to provide greater and more detailed information for electrical contractors on what they need to know about the partial shutdown.
Despite the Trump Administration’s efforts to prolong the life of coal in the United States, the industry seems to be on an inevitable decline. According to statistics released recently by the U.S. Environmental Information...
In October 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the average hourly wage for construction workers increased to $30.18 in September, up from $30.00 in August, and 3.1 percent higher than September 2017....
According to the IEEE Standards Association, approximately 2,000 workers are admitted to burn centers each year for extended injury treatment caused by arc flash incidents. With this in mind, the IEEE Standards Association...
As available land for solar projects in many U.S. markets is becoming increasingly scarce—and the price almost everywhere is escalating—solar photovoltaics floating on water could be a welcome alternative, according to...
According to a recent study conducted by the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and Sage Construction and Real Estate, 79 percent of construction firms expect to hire more employees in 2019. However, 78 percent...
According to the Commercial Construction Index (CCI) for the fourth quarter of 2018 , contractors in commercial construction are continuing to employ advanced technologies on job sites. In fact, use of these technologies is...
For electrical contractors and electricians concerned about the possibility of reduced demand by the nation's electric utility industry for new infrastructure projects, there is some good news. According to a December...
When it comes to general contractor and subcontractor liability for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations, there is a new way of looking at things that overturns a ruling set in place back in 1981....
As more employers use contract and temporary workers, concerns over the safety of their working conditions have also increased. A recent study shows that this concern is justified, as fatal electrical injuries to contract...
While not specifically referencing Armageddon, the President's National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) has released a report, titled "Surviving a Catastrophic Power Outage," that may not be too far away from that...
As reported in late November , while utility power lines are often the victims of wildfires, they can, in some instances, also be the causes. In the case of the devastating Camp Fire in California, the preliminary evidence...
The HAPO Community Credit Union, with branches in Washington and Oregon, recently opened its 18th location in Vancouver, Wash., which achieved the WELL Building Standard certification, becoming the first credit union in the...
In a historic move, California became the first state in the U.S. requiring solar power to be installed on all new homes and residential buildings built in 2020 and beyond. This so-called solar mandate, passed in early...
The nation’s leading tech giants have shown a penchant for forward-thinking ventures beyond their core business models. Companies like Google, Apple and Amazon have led by example on a number of popular digital and energy...
