Featured

The Half-Life of a Champion

• October 8, 2020
• NEMA Communications

You’re most likely familiar with the term “half-life,” as in the half-life of a radioactive isotope. The half-life measures the time required for the isotope to decay to half its strength. With each half-life, the radioactive level weakens by half. I have often applied a similar concept to my personal and business life, i.e., the “half-life of a champion.” Let’s set the stage. You, your boss, or maybe an associate, champion new technology, a new process, or a new concept. The Read More[...]

NEMA Responds to Hurricane Laura

• September 10, 2020
• Bryan Holland

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season is the first on record in which 13 tropical storms have formed before September. As of the writing of this report, a total of 17 named storms, five hurricanes, and one major hurricane have developed during this season. This season is also the first to see seven named tropical cyclones make landfall in the continental U.S. before the end of August. Hurricane Laura was a deadly and damaging Category 4 hurricane that tied with the 1856 Read More[...]

Hurricane Isaias Sets off Atlantic Hurricane Season

• August 12, 2020
• Bryan Holland

The ninth tropical cyclone of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season developed on July 28, approximately 600 miles east of the Leeward Islands. With its landfall on August 3, Hurricane Isaias became the earliest fifth named storm on record to make landfall on the U.S. mainland.Due to the storm’s slow development and asymmetrical geometry, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina were mostly spared any significant impacts as the storm passed, never making landfall along these territories Read More[...]

NEMA Launches Healthcare Facilities Council

• July 27, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of electroindustry.by Marc Neufcourt, Industry Director, NEMAThe healthcare industry is facing accelerating changes driven by a perfect storm of new technology adoption, consumer demographics, and regulation. To top it off, the industry is at the forefront of a global pandemic, with COVID-19 pushing to the limit its staff, infrastructures, and operations.There is little doubt that the current crisis will only accentuate trends that are reshaping the industry such as telehealth Read More[...]

All-Electric Buildings: Electrification in the Code

• July 27, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Mike Stone, West Coast Field Representative, NEMA Member companies have made possible the electrification of the country. What the term “electrification” has meant traditionally is to provide electricity to areas that previously did not have service. In the late 19th and first part of the 20th centuries, providing electricity to all parts of the country, including rural areas, was the challenge. The products and technology supplied by NEMA Members Read More[...]

NEMA Strategic Initiatives Focus on Digitalization, Technology

• July 24, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Daniel Abbate and Steve Griffith, Industry Directors, NEMA Each year the NEMA Strategic Initiatives program generates valuable market research, technical and policy reports, websites, educational toolkits, and more for the benefit of NEMA Members. The 2020 Strategic Initiatives (SI) cover topics related to digitalization and the Internet of Things, market development, resilience, and workforce development. One example of a 2020 initiative is NEMA.Lab. This SI will establish a cross-domain, technology-based Read More[...]

NEMA Publishes Guidance for Disinfecting Electrical Equipment

• July 17, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Alan Manche, Vice President, External Affairs, Schneider Electric Mr. Manche is an active leader and contributor  to the electrical industry, including participating in NEMA, ANSI, and NFPA activities. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, many of us have incorporated extra precautions into our daily routines to stay safe. Now, as state and local governments begin lifting social distancing regulations and workplaces reopen, virus prevention methods are shifting from isolation Read More[...]

A Distributor’s Role in Technology

• July 13, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Tom Naber, President & CEO, National Association of Electrical Distributors Mr. Naber possesses a strong background in both association management and the electrical industry, bringing more than 20 years’ experience as an association executive. New technologies are pushing the boundaries of the electrical industry every day. Where once devices and equipment were meant to perform a simple function (e.g., transmit power or provide light), today, devices are collecting information about Read More[...]

New Challenges and Opportunities for Energy Management

• July 10, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the July/August 2020 issue of electroindustry. In the past few months, we have undergone massive changes as a country. The pandemic has moved many of us to an entirely remote work environment—one where we must still engage with our teams. But we cannot forget the millions of people across the country who have continued to show up every day on factory  floors or at customer sites. These are the people dedicated to keeping our food Read More[...]

NEMA Companies Support Transportation Innovations

• June 29, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. The first means of human transport involved walking and running. Basically, survival depended upon some elemental level of mobility. But as social groups became larger and interactions among them increased, an impetus for traveling faster than on foot emerged. From single-axle carts in previous millennia to globe- spanning passenger aircraft today, we humans remain keen to shrink time and distance. Ideas that seemed to belong only to the realm Read More[...]

Ownership Cost Parity Between EVs and Gas-Powered Cars Possible by 2025

• June 26, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Fred Ashton, Economist, NEMA Over the past decade, electric vehicles (EVs) have made substantial progress toward mass adoption. Charging stations have become faster and more readily available, and range-anxiety has slowly dissipated, with some EVs being able to travel nearly 400 miles on a single charge. One obstacle, however, remains at the forefront: cost. The ownership cost of a vehicle goes well beyond the sticker price in a showroom. Fuel, Read More[...]

NEMA Revises Standard for Roadway Luminaire Labeling

• June 22, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Ann Brandstadter, Manager, Standards Publications and Marketing, NEMA ANSI C136.22-2019 American National Standard for Roadway and Area LightingEquipment—Internal Labeling of Luminaires covers internal luminaire identification labels for all styles of luminaires used for roadway lighting. The ANSI C136 committee, Roadway and Area Lighting Equipment, is actively seeking additional membership for the “user” and “general interest” membership categories. For information, contact lighting@nema.org. ANSI C136.22-2019 is available for $48. ANSI C136.25-2019 American National Standard Read More[...]

Public Chargers Will Alleviate EV Driver Anxieties

• June 19, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Andrei Moldoveanu, Senior Program Manager, NEMA One of the most significant efforts to boost the electric vehicle (EV) industry is to overcome the natural anxiety EV drivers experience when they travel farther than their regular commute. The answer is to create public charging stations similar to ones we see at gas stations everywhere. For several reasons, mostly financial and regulatory, one way to provide the most access to EV Read More[...]

National Lightning Safety Awareness Week

• June 18, 2020
• Bryan Holland

The National Lightning Safety Council is recognizing National Lightning Safety Awareness Week for the week of June 21-27 and International Lightning Safety Day on June 28. National Lightning Safety Awareness Week was started in 2001 to call attention to this hazardous natural phenomenon. Since then, U.S. lightning fatalities have dropped from around 50 per year to less than 30 per year. This reduction in fatalities is largely due to a greater awareness of lightning danger and people seeking safety when thunderstorms Read More[...]

Codes Address EV Infrastructure Needs

• June 15, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Mike Stone, West Coast Field Representative, NEMA Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly prevalent on America’s roads. Industry expert projections regarding how many EVs will be on America’s roads by 2030 vary widely, but all agree that the number will increase exponentially. One estimate from the Edison Electric Institute, the investor-owned U.S. utility association, predicts an increase from 1 million EVs in 2018 to 18.7 million by 2030. In Read More[...]

Council Seeks Input from NEMA/MITA Members

• June 12, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Alex Boesenberg, Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, NEMA The NEMA Additive Manufacturing Council (AMC) continues to welcome additions. The NEMA AMC was formed to continue the work of a 2019 Strategic Initiative. The mission of the AMC is to 1) gather and develop useful information for NEMA Members to benefit business planning, 2) facilitate partnerships between NEMA Members and manufacturers of AM equipment, 3) establish synergy between these groups Read More[...]

Connected Vehicle Spectrum at Issue in Rulemaking

• June 8, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Alex Boesenberg, Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, NEMA The NEMA Transportation Management Section recommends that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) preserve the entire 5.9 GHz band of the radiocommunications spectrum for roadway safety applications. Arguing that progress has been too slow in deploying intelligent transportation systems that use the spectrum, the commission approved a proposal in December 2019 to reallocate portions of the band to unlicensed use and reduce Read More[...]

Mexico Builds a New Standardization Law

• June 5, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by Craig Updyke, Director, Trade and Commercial Affairs, NEMA In March 2020, the Mexican Senate received a proposal from the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador for a new law on Standardization and metrology. On its face, the proposal for a Quality Infrastructure Law aims at modernizing, broadening, and accelerating development of mandatory and voluntary Standards in Mexico. The proposal is also intended to come into compliance with commitments Read More[...]

I Am NEMA | Andrei Moldoveanu

• June 1, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. Andrei Moldoveanu I first joined NEMA as a Member about 30 years ago. I was working for a NEMA Member company and was responsible for a line of products that needed a boost. My boss recommended  getting it covered by a relevant code or Standard, so joining NEMA was the natural next step. As a Member, I learned the true meaning of consensus, due process, alliances, patience, and fairness. That helped Read More[...]

Charging Infrastructure for Battery-Electric Buses

• May 26, 2020
• NEMA Communications

This piece was originally published in the May/June 2020 issue of electroindustry. by David Warren, Director of Sustainable Transportation, New Flyer of America Inc. Mr. Warren is a preeminent industry leader in the battery- electric and clean propulsion space. He leads New Flyer’s sustainable technology strategy, with a specific focus on zero emission technologies. Buses and motor coaches currently incorporate a wide range of propulsion systems: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell). With the advancement Read More[...]