- February 7, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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Clark Silcox, General Counsel, NEMA
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2020 was released last week, updating 2019 estimates and future projections for domestic electricity generation and use. On the generation side, EIA projects for the first time that renewable energy sources will lead electricity generation, taking over for natural gas at some point between 2040 and 2050. By 2050, EIA projects that renewable energy will represent 38 percent of the energy sources for electricity generation and natural
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- February 3, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
How to Modernize the Grid to Accommodate the Integration of Renewable Energy and Enable the Decarbonization of Society
Audrey Wang Gosselin, Engineer, ABB Inc., and Gary Rackliffe, Vice President, Smart Grids and Grid Modernization, ABB
Mrs. Wang Gosselin is an engineer in the LEAD Early Career Program. She is bringing business development opportunities to ABB with the Smart Grids and Grid Modernization team. Mr. Rackliffe is Chair of the NEMA Utility
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- January 27, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
Jack Lyons, Northeast Field Representative, NEMA
It is the start of the 2020 National Electrical Code® (NEC) adoption season, and Massachusetts is on track to kick off with a January 1, 2020, adoption date. The Board of Fire Prevention Regulations (BFPR) will have met December 5, 2019, to promulgate the 2020 NEC as the electrical installation regulation for the commonwealth. If the process goes as planned and the amendments that
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- January 24, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
Steve Griffith, Industry Director, NEMA
About a quarter of worldwide railroad systems are electric. In the United States, it’s less than 1 percent.
Most analysts agree that long-haul transportation is more efficient and less expensive by train than by truck. The physics of steel rolling on steel is much more effective from an energy transfer perspective than that of rubber on concrete. Trains are also more efficient aerodynamically than trucks. A
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- January 20, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
Neil Chatterjee, FERC Chairman
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has a wide-ranging portfolio of regulatory and oversight responsibilities when it comes to wholesale electricity and natural gas markets. Just as each of us requires 20/20 vision to be productive, FERC needs sharp vision going into 2020 because our work is profoundly important to our nation.
Why? Energy is what makes us strong. In fact, in 2017, total end-use energy expenditures
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- January 15, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
Alex Boesenberg, Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs, NEMA
Despite the recent departure of Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry, DOE staff seem to have maintained their stride. The Administration continues to focus on improving regulatory proceedings, particularly in terms of transparency and fairness of analytical review.
For example, after a very modest number of “no new Standard” decisions in the previous 25 years of DOE regulatory review (five total; NEMA
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- January 11, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
Happy New Year!
I am pleased to welcome you to this issue of electroindustry devoted to “Changing Energy Markets.” The start of a new decade is a fitting time to consider how the dramatic shift in the energy market seen over the last 10 years is expected to evolve over the next 10 years.
Currently, there are one million e-vehicles on the road in the U.S. By 2030, that number could
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- January 8, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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Phil Squair, Vice President, Government Relations, NEMA
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020. This law included a provision extending the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction originally authorized under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) through December 31, 2020. With this extension, new installations or retrofits placed in service after December 31, 2017, through December 31, 2020, that meet the requirements can claim the tax deduction.
In general, the Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction
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- January 6, 2020
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the January/February 2020 issue of electroindustry.
Doug Staker, Vice President of Utility Business Development, Enel X
Mr. Staker is a pioneer in the world of smart grid technologies, with a focus on smart metering and intelligent energy storage.
Today’s electric power industry is migrating through various elements of change. The integration of renewable power at a scale that competes with traditional generation is impressive. Endorsed by renewable supporters and condemned by businessas-usual promoters, the reality is that
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- December 27, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Fred Ashton, Economist, NEMA
Electrical construction is a primary end market for the electrical manufacturing industry. This market is prone to booms and busts as business cycles wax and wane. The Great Recession, which centered on overleveraged housing investments, ushered in an unprecedented era of stagnant household formation and tepid demand for housing. Households struggled to unwind big bets on home appreciation while the economy tanked.
After more than 10 years
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- December 23, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
The electricity sector may account for only 2 percent of U.S. GDP, but the other 98 percent of the economy depends on it virtually 100 percent of the time. Behind the electronics and electrical products that power modern life are essential—but largely out-of-sight—building infrastructure technologies. Said differently: “What’s behind your walls?”
The impact these quality products have on modern commerce and society cannot be restated often enough—NEMA Members power our
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- December 20, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Craig Updyke, Director, Trade and Commercial Affairs, NEMA and Gustavo Domínguez Poo, Director, Latin America, NEMA
On August 23, the Economy Secretary of Mexico announced an initiative that could result in the replacement of the country’s Federal Metrology and Standardization Law with a new Law on Quality Infrastructure (LIQ). In summary, the proposal aims to reduce the time needed to develop new Standards and keep the government at the head
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- December 18, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Bryan P. Holland, Southern Region Field Representative, NEMA
Energy conservation, efficiency, and sustainability have become fundamental considerations in the building environment. The effective use and conservation of energy for a building no longer take a back seat to code requirements related to life and fire safety. This change is due to advancements in technology being incorporated into the development of national energy codes.
Evidence of this can be found in the
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- December 16, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Ann Brandstadter, Manager, Standards Publications and Marketing, NEMA
American National Standard for Gauges for Electric Lamp Bases and Lampholders is a lighting industry Standard that now includes updated specifications for base gauges (caps) and lampholders for electric lamps, including ANSI and IEC lamp base (cap) and lampholder gauge sheets. ANSI C81.63-2019 is available for $500 in hard copy and electronic download.
NEMA 260-1996 (R2004, R2019) Safety Labels for Pad-Mounted Switchgear and
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- December 13, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Daniel Abbate, Industry Director, NEMA
NEMA staffers Danny Abbate, Industry Director for Building Infrastructure, and Muhammad Ali, Program Manager, attended and completed the Robroy Corrosion College in Gilmer, Texas, in August.
Corrosion College provides hands-on experience in understanding the process of corrosion through two days of intensive instruction conducted by professionals in the field of corrosion protection. Instructors enhance learning retention through a comprehensive curriculum, including case studies, laboratory workshops, and
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- December 9, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Andi Haa, Owner, Quality Plus
For many years, surge protective device (SPD) specifications have been a source of confusion in the marketplace. While NEMA wants manufacturers to be competitive and to promote their specifications, some must be Standardized, benefitting both the industry and the market.
As such, the NEMA Low Voltage Surge Protective Devices Section (05VS) has developed and published NEMA SPD 1.1-2019 Surge Protective Device Specification Guide for Low Voltage
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- December 6, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Craig Updyke, Director, Trade and Commercial Affairs, NEMA
Members of the Transportation Management Systems and Associated Control Devices Section braved Washington, D.C., traffic to visit the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Capitol Hill, and three counterpart organizations on Sept. 25 and 26. Central to each discussion were deployment of connected vehicle systems and the communications backbone represented by a dedicated band of the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Diana
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- December 2, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Pekka Hakkarainen
Pekka Hakkarainen is Vice President of Government and Industry Relations at Lutron Electronics Company Inc.
The relationship between commercial property developers and their tenants is evolving. Across the country, there is a growing trend toward building systems that create more value for real estate developers, building owners, property managers, and occupants alike.
All these people have different, but complementary needs with a common goal of creating an overall better occupant
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- November 29, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Craig Updyke, Director, Trade and Commercial Affairs, NEMA
Although the Administration has continued to raise import tariffs on Chinese goods as part of its effort to reach an agreement on changes to a series of policies and practices that disadvantage U.S. companies there, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has excluded many NEMA scope products in response to requests from importers. Among the products the agency has exempted
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- November 25, 2019
- NEMA Communications
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This piece was originally published in the November/December 2019 issue of electroindustry.
Rick Pimpinella, Panduit Fellow
Dr. Pimpinella is a Panduit Fellow, is a member of the IEEE, and is actively pursuing his research interests in multimode and single-mode optical fiber. He has published more than 50 technical papers and articles, and he holds more than 60 U.S. patents.
Whether you’re an engineer, installer, consultant, or network designer, you might have multiple questions regarding
cabling infrastructure and management: “What type of cable should I
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