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Smart Grid to Maximize Potential, Cut Electricity Waste - Now on ElectricTV.net

Posted on: Friday, 17 April 2009, 12:03 CDT

BETHESDA, Md., April 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Does the U.S. really need a smart grid? Author Jason Makansi says the existing national transmission system is graying and presents a threat to our future, according to a feature presented on the latest edition of ElectricTV.net. A joint production of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), ElectricTV.net is the only web TV program dedicated to reporting the latest developments in the electrical construction and information systems industries.

Makansi, author of Lights Out, explains how the grid transmitting electricity to U.S. communities is old and outdated, with yesterday's infrastructure jeopardizing the future delivery of critical energy. "The American public needs to pay more attention to electricity as a vital component of their economy and their way of life," says Makansi. "Our industry and our elected officials need to focus on securing the transmission part of the electrical infrastructure to ensure that future needs are met."

What Makansi argues for is the move to a "smart grid," a holistic approach to the transmission of electricity involving new infrastructure building and integrated electrical control systems. NECA contractors and their IBEW workforce are already busy running tests of new equipment vital to creating that new "smart grid." Says NECA contractor John Colson, chairman and CEO of Quanta Services, "The smart grid is one of the few ways that we can really make an impact on saving electricity. It's maximizing the potential of the grid to transmit electricity in the most efficient manner."

Also on this edition of ElectricTV.net are a segment on a new learning program that's bringing an online dimension to electrical worker training; a feature detailing how building owners and managers are boosting operations and lowering costs through computer-based automation; and a spotlight on how T5HO fluorescent lamps are delivering significant savings in energy and costs to lighting high-bay buildings.

To view, visit: www.electrictv.net/smartgrid.aspx.

ABOUT NECA AND IBEW

Through their joint marketing organization -- the National Labor-Management Cooperation Committee (NLMCC) of the organized electrical construction industry -- NECA and IBEW together work to:

• Reach customers with accurate information about the industry; and
• Achieve better internal communication between labor and management.

NECA has provided over a century of service to the $130 billion electrical construction industry that brings power, light and communication technology to buildings and communities across the United States. NECA's national office and 119 local chapters advance the industry through advocacy, education, research and standards development.

With 725,000 members who work in a wide variety of fields -- including construction, utilities, telecommunications and manufacturing -- IBEW is among the largest member unions in the AFL-CIO. IBEW was founded in 1891.

For more information, visit www.thequalityconnection.org.

SOURCE NLMCC

Source: PR Newswire

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