Featured

DOE Proposes to Revise the Process Improvement Rule (Again)

• April 22, 2021
• Alex Boesenberg

On April 12, the Department of Energy (DOE) published proposed modifications to its Process Improvement Rule of February 2020. The proposal responds to a Memorandum from the White House Chief of Staff directing agencies to review several rulemaking outcomes from the previous Administration.Before issuance of the February 2020 rule, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) and other trade associations argued the original Process Improvement Rule of 1996 was sorely out-of-date, and its guidance had been interpreted and reinterpreted so many Read More[...]

NEMA Staff Analysis: An Assessment of the DOE LBNL Motor Systems Market

• February 26, 2021
• Alex Boesenberg

The Motor Systems Market Assessment (MSMA) is a study that delves into significant detail on the number, disposition, and operating characteristics of electric motor-driven systems in US industrial and commercial facilities. The study’s in-depth details will inform numerous activities and industries, assisting in planning and decision-making. This NEMA analysis focuses on the regulatory impacts of the MSMA and how NEMA (and other entities) may use it to inform and influence US Department of Energy rulemakings for minimum energy conservation Standards Read More[...]

Smart Buildings: A Key Element of Smart Energy and Climate Policy

• February 4, 2021

With the enactment of the Energy Act of 2020, smart buildings are finally making their debut in US clean energy and climate policy. Section 1007 of the bill, titled “Smart Building Acceleration,” directs the Department of Energy (DOE) in consultation with the General Services Administrator (GSA), to establish a Federal Smart Building Program to implement smart building technology and demonstrate the costs and benefits of smart buildings.The new law defines a “smart building” as a building, or collection of buildings, Read More[...]

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane End-of-Season Report

• December 21, 2020

The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season was extremely active and costly. The season produced 30 named storms, 13 hurricanes, and six major hurricanes. Property damage estimates for the 2020 season are approaching $45 billion.The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season had many other notable statistics:This was the most active hurricane season on record and the seventh costliest on recordTropical Storm Arthur formed on May 14, more than two weeks before Atlantic Hurricane Season officially beganEvery named storm this season except three (Arthur, Bertha, Read More[...]

Standby Power Regulation Emerging for Connected Devices

• October 30, 2020
• Alex Boesenberg

As part of a 2020 Strategic Initiative (SI), NEMA examined regulators’ openness to referencing industry Standards for standby power, rather than developing new requirements. Standby power is the energy needed by a device to be ready to respond to an outside query or control signal while the device is otherwise not performing its primary function. The SI also focused on developing industry guidance for regulators about the standby power requirements of connected devices that offer edge computing, cybersecurity protection, monitoring, Read More[...]

The Half-Life of a Champion

• October 8, 2020
• NEMA Communications

by Tip Goodwin, ANSI C119 Standards CommitteeYou’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, 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[...]