Update 5/23/19: A provision based on Norcross' Bill to allow 529 tax-free savings for apprenticeships was passed through the House with a 417-3 vote as part of H.R. 1994, the SECURE Act, a retirement savings bill. Last week,...
If you thought electrical contractors were immune to the ongoing proliferation of data and information privacy laws, think again. In several different ways, ECs may be on the hook for personal information obtained during...
In last week's midterm elections, most of the state ballot initiatives pertaining to clean energy suffered losses, though renewable power supporters cheered at the results in Nevada and in some key governor races. In...
In the midterm elections on Nov. 6, Democrats took control of the U.S. House of Representatives while Republicans gained seats to solidify their hold on the Senate. This will lead to a federal government that operates...
Already a pioneer in the field of clean energy, California has raised the bar again. In August, the state legislature approved a bill that, by 2045, requires 100 percent of retail energy sales to come from zero-carbon sources...
With the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) net-neutrality rules expiring Apr. 23, many proponents of net neutrality are braced for what seems to be an imminent demise of federally regulated internet freedom. However,...
Prevailing wage laws help close the income gap among African American and white construction workers, according to an Illinois Economic Policy Institute study (ILEPI) released in February. The income gap between African...
On March 23, Congress passed, and the president signed, a $1.3 trillion federal spending bill. It keeps the federal government open for the remainder of the fiscal year and contains portions that may be favorable to...
The political and economic talk these last few days, of course, has been the Trump Administration's statement that it will impose tariffs of 25 percent on U.S. imports of steel and 10 percent on aluminum. Many in the...
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed the first state law that will protect net neutrality in the void left by the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to repeal its own federal protections. The Washington law...
In January, President Trump approved major import tariffs on solar cells and modules. The executive decision elicited protests from some quarters and cheers from others. Three weeks later, projections of what impact the...
The solar industry employs twice as many workers as the coal industry, almost five times as many as the nuclear power industry, and nearly as many workers as the natural gas industry. However, all may not continue to be...
Late last week, The Washington Post announced that the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is expected to ask Congress for deep budget cuts (72 percent overall) to the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and...
There have been many articles written about The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act since it was signed into law on Dec. 22, 2017. There are many provisions within the law that will change the way both individuals and business owners will...
In a surprise move, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Jan. 8 rejected a Trump administration proposal that would have boosted the coal and nuclear power industries. The plan, originally presented by...
The new tax law impacts electrical contractors in a number of ways, and most of them are good, according to Marco Giamberardino, MPA, executive director, Government Affairs, for NECA. "It is the biggest rewrite of the Code in...
In a 33–0 vote, and in what some see as the beginning of a national trend to increase the appeal of commercial solar installations, the Florida Senate passed SB-90 ("Renewable Energy Source Devices"), a bill that would,...
According to the New York City Council website , on March 21, Mayor Bill de Blasio enacted Introduction 247-A, a bill which amends the New York City administrative code to increase the civil and criminal penalties for...
President Obama gave his State of the Union Address in February, and between all the political rhetoric and criticism, there were signs that the administration’s direction could affect the construction industry. Job creation...
While many of us rang in the new year with a champagne toast, Washington lawmakers were busy at work attempting to iron out a deal that would prevent the nation from falling over the so-called “fiscal cliff,” a term used to...
