The amount contractors pay for a range of key construction
materials declined in August, but contractors continue to be squeezed as
materials cost increases have outstripped the price of finished
buildings over the past year, according to an analysis of producer price
index figures released recently by the Associated General Contractors of
America (AGC), Arlington, Va. "The disparity between contractors’
materials costs and their selling prices threatens to push some firms
and their hard-pressed workers out of business,” said Ken Simonson,
the association’s chief economist. “Contractors just aren’t
catching any breaks when it comes to current market
conditions.” To read more on this story, visit EC&M's website.
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Bernard M. Markstein, Reed Construction Data's chief
economist, recently offered a revised prediction, which includes a
recession scenario, for the firm's economic forecast. "In our recession
scenario, the current (third) quarter is subpar, with growth barely
above zero," Markstein writes. "The next four quarters then exhibit
decline, with the first and second quarters of 2012 down the most.
Fourth quarter 2012 is mildly positive, with stronger growth in
2013." To read more on this story, visit EC&M's website.
Citing its commitment to improving the regulatory environment
for the planning, development, siting, and construction of transmission
infrastructure, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
weighed in at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in support of the
transfer from DOE to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of
certain directives regarding transmission corridors authorized under the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct05). In a letter to DOE, NEMA offered
its support for a draft proposal that would put into a single agency all
EPAct05 authorities related to improving interstate transmission
infrastructure in the most congested areas of the country. To read
more on this story, visit EC&M's website.
Electric vehicles (EVs) are being delivered by the thousands
each month. The power delivery infrastructure that enables vehicles to
charge at home, at the workplace, and in public spaces is simultaneously
being rolled out. A new report from Boulder, Colo.-based Pike Research
forecasts that by 2017 more than 1.5 million locations to charge
vehicles will be available in the United States, with a total of 7.7
million locations worldwide. The cleantech market intelligence firm
anticipates that increasing demand for charge points will be driven in
part by a rapid decline in electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE)
prices, which will require manufacturers to adapt their business models
as volumes continue to increase. To read more on this story, visit
EC&M's website.
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Northern Maine Community College, Presque Isle, Maine, is
seeking bids for electrical and other work required for the installation
of a new biomass boiler, pellet storage silo, interconnecting piping,
controls, and appurtenances to complete the installation of the new
biomass system. The work to be performed under this contract shall be
completed on or before April 30, 2012. The deadline for bids is
September 21. For more information, visit The Portland Press
Herald classifieds.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is soliciting
bids for relocating and replacing electrical circuits into electrical
conduits and abandoning embedded conduits and related work at the runway
decks and the vicinities thereof at LaGuardia Airport, Queens, N.Y. Bids
are due at 2:30 p.m. EST on October 18. For more information, visit the
Port Authority's website.
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The restoration of Winn-Dixie’s New Orleans East Store,
built as a prototype store to showcase all of its latest design
concepts, includes a low-profile addition: a 600kW diesel generator from
Cummins Power Generation that is capable of providing electricity to the
entire store in the event of a power outage. The unit comes complete
with automatic transfer switches (ATSs) and a 3,600-gal sub-base fuel
tank. The standby generator, which features a PowerCommand iWatchTM
wireless monitoring system that links the generator set with cellular
and satellite networks, sits atop an 8-ft-high, flood-protected
platform. To read more on this story, visit the EC&M website.
Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Chesapeake welcomes
North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) as its
newest partner member. NABCEP's executive director, Ezra Auerbach said,
"We are pleased to become a partner member of IEC Chesapeake because we
see its commitment to providing training to electrical workers as very
compatible with our mission to improve installation standards in the PV
industry." To read more on this story, visit the EC&M website.
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IES)
announces a new document on the commissioning process: DG-29-11, "Design
Guide for The Commissioning Process Applied to Lighting and Control
Systems." The document describes the technical requirements for
commissioning lighting and control systems to achieve owner performance
criteria in new construction. To read more on this story, visit
the EC&M website.
The Solar Decathlon, which will be held at the National
Mall’s West Potomac Park in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 23 to Oct. 2,
is an award-winning program that challenges 20 collegiate teams to
design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective,
energy-efficient and visually appealing. The winner of the competition
is the team that best blends affordability, consumer appeal and design
excellence with optimal energy production and maximum
efficiency. To read more on this story, visit the EC&M website.
James Hussey, 38, died from electrocution around 9:30 a.m. on
September 13 working with a charged line at Doneen Gravel Pit near
Colfax, Wash. Hussey, of Peck, Idaho, was transferring the generator
electrical lines with other DeAtley Crushing Service, Lewiston, Idaho,
employees when he came in contact with a live line. A medical helicopter
responded, and Hussey was pronounced dead at the scene by officials from
Spokane Trauma Centers. Officers said the Whitman County Coroner's
Office and the Mining Safety and Health Administration are investigating
the incident.
The 54th Annual IEC National Convention & Electrical Expo
will take place from October 11-14 in Louisville, Ky. Topics for
training sessions at this year's event include electrical theory, Code,
motor control, blueprint reading, and leadership and supervision. For
more information, and to register, visit the IEC website.
The Electrical Association of Philadelphia will present its
Electric Expo 2011 from October 12-13 in King of Prussia, Pa. Topics for
seminars include sustainability, safe facilities, lighting, and the NEC.
For more information and to register, visit the event's website.
Solar Power International is scheduled for October 17-20 in
Dallas. Topics for sessions include finance strategies and policy
changes and technology. For more information and to register, visit the
Solar Power International website.
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