Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

NAED Washington Wire: Information and Updates on IEEPA Tariff Refunds

William Attardi on April 23, 2026

The Supreme Court’s February 2026 decision striking down broad IEEPA tariffs has triggered a complex refund process, now centered at the CIT and being implemented by the CBP. The main action items are straightforward. Importers should track liquidation dates, confirm ACH and ACE enrollment, preserve all entry and payment records, and review any contracts that may affect refund sharing. Wholesalers and distributors should check whether their pricing or surcharge provisions address tariff reimbursement. All parties should continue monitoring CBP’s rollout, the CIT’s next orders, and any appeal activity that could affect the scope or timing of refunds. For businesses, the key distinction is between legal entitlement and commercial recovery. Importers of record are positioned to receive refunds directly, provided they maintain proper documentation and system readiness. In contrast, wholesalers and distributors must rely on contract terms to determine whether they share in any recovered duties, making careful review of agreements essential. NAED – Washington Wire

BriteSwitch – Commercial Lighting Controls: A Growing Rebate Opportunity

William Attardi on April 22, 2026

Traditional controls fit well within prescriptive rebate programs because they are relatively easy to define, verify, and explain. For decades, programs have offered incentives for adding components such as fixture-mounted occupancy sensors, and these incentives are not going away. In fact, incentives for traditional lighting controls increased by 12–20% this year, depending on the measure. In addition to traditional controls, more advanced lighting control systems have gained prominence in recent years. These systems are typically more intelligent, allowing devices to communicate and respond dynamically to changing conditions. Rebates for advanced systems like NLC and LLLC have historically been more complex. While most programs provide incentives for these systems, the structure varies widely. Some offer incentives through custom programs based on projected kWh savings. Others provide per-fixture adders or separate line items based on control type. RebatePro for Lighting by BriteSwitch is designed to help contractors and distributors identify the best rebate opportunities, estimate incentives for specific projects, and stay current as programs continue to evolve across the US and Canada. Commercial Lighting Controls: A Growing Rebate Opportunity

Coming Soon: Facilities That Also Happen to be Farm

William Attardi on April 22, 2026

What if your most important tenants were not people but, well, crops? The coming of a new “vertical farm” industry is turning that unusual vision into reality. Vertical farms offer new, unique option for building owners looking for ‘tenants’. The multiple concerns with our global industrialized food system range from the existence of “food deserts” in which many people lack access to fresh, nutritious food to the increasing desire and market for food that is healthy, safe, high quality and free of harmful pesticides. The idea of bringing food production closer to its consumers is manifesting itself in the development of a new sector experimenting with how to turn buildings into indoor farms.  Coming Soon: Facilities That Also Happen to be Farms – Facilities Management Insights

LEDucation 2026 Marks 20 Years of Growth, Community, and Industry Impact

William Attardi on April 20, 2026

The LEDucation Trade Show and Conference, organized by the Designers Lighting Forum of New York (DLFNY), concluded another successful event at the New York Hilton Midtown on April 14–15, 2026. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, LEDucation welcomed over 10,000 attendees and 565 exhibitors from around the globe, including a strong presence of new exhibitors, reinforcing its position as North America’s largest annual lighting industry gathering. Bringing together designers, manufacturers, educators, students, and industry professionals, LEDucation continues to serve as a vital platform for connection, discovery, and the exchange of ideas across the lighting community. Education remained a central pillar of LEDucation 2026, with a comprehensive program designed to address the evolving needs of the industry. LEDucation will return to the New York Hilton Midtown on April 13–15, 2027—expanding to a three-day format. For more information, visit www.leducation.org

Recent Trends In Horticultural Lighting by David Shiller

William Attardi on April 17, 2026

Recent horticultural lighting trends are centered on smarter LED systems, more precise spectral control, and tighter integration with greenhouse automation. The biggest shift is away from static lighting toward dynamic, data-driven lighting that can adjust intensity and spectrum in real time based on crop stage, natural sunlight, energy prices, and climate conditions. LEDs continue to replace older technologies like HPS because they deliver higher efficiency, lower radiant heat, dimming capability, and better spectral control. Industry and government sources also note meaningful electricity savings versus conventional horticultural lighting, which remains a major driver for adoption in commercial greenhouses and indoor farms. This efficiency story matters because energy is one of the largest operating costs in controlled environment agriculture. As a result, growers are looking for fixtures that do more than just provide photons; they want systems that can optimize output while reducing waste and heat load. More information is available here. Recent Trends In Horticultural Lighting | LightNOW

2026 Commercial Lighting Rebate Outlook by Craig DiLouie

William Attardi on April 17, 2026

The commercial lighting rebate outlook is strong for 2026, with widely available rebates covering all popular categories of LED lighting and lighting controls, including networked lighting controls. Overall, 2026 marks a year of evolution for programs as they adapt to declining lighting energy savings due to LED market saturation. Average rebate amounts per LED product significantly increased, particularly for higher-energy-saving products. Some programs are shifting from incentivizing products to energy savings. More programs recognizing LED-to-LED upgrades were introduced. On the lighting controls side, average rebate dollars per installed solution generally increased in 2026. As AI infrastructure/data centers and meta projects continue to come online, rising demand for electric power is leading to cost increases. This article evaluates the 2026 commercial lighting rebate outlook based on data provided by BriteSwitch’s RebatePro for Lighting North America database, examines opportunities for LED lighting and lighting controls, and offers insights into how rebate programs are evolving as LED adoption increases. 2026 Commercial Lighting Rebate Outlook

Amazon Plans to Invest $25 Billion in Mississippi Data Centers, Create 2,000 Jobs

William Attardi on April 17, 2026

Two years ago, Amazon broke ground on its first data center campus in Madison County—the largest capital investment in Mississippi’s history at the time. That milestone was followed by a $3 billion planned investment in Warren County. Today, we’re proud to share that our total statewide planned investment has reached $25 billion, with plans to create 2,000 high-skilled jobs across all our Mississippi data center operations, further solidifying the state’s position as a leader in technology and innovation. And the impact extends well beyond technology; our data centers are also creating lasting economic opportunity. In Madison County alone, more than 75 Mississippi companies are engaged in construction and operations, employing thousands of construction workers, electricians, and operational staff. Amazon plans to invest $25 billion in Mississippi data centers, create 2,000 jobs

Google Announces $10M to the Manufacturing Institute to Develop AI Skills for the Manufacturing Workforce

William Attardi on April 15, 2026

Google. org’s funding will enable the Manufacturing Institute to develop two new courses for shop floor workers: AI 101 for Manufacturing and Advanced AI for Manufacturing Technicians. The $10 million funding will support the MI in developing AI skills training programs for manufacturing workers and expand employer-led apprenticeship programs via the MI’s Federation for Advanced Manufacturing Education (FAME USA). The initiative is part of Google.org’s AI Opportunity Fund that helps Americans learn AI skills at no cost in collaboration with workforce development and education organizations across the country. The U.S. is facing a significant manufacturing skills gap. By 2033, it’s projected that nearly 1.9 million manufacturing roles could go unfilled if the workforce is not equipped with the necessary technical skills. This builds on Google’s previous commitment to support infrastructure and skilled trades. Google recently announced a similar effort with the electrical training ALLIANCE to train electrical workers throughout the country.  Google announces $10M to the Manufacturing Institute to develop AI skills for the manufacturing workforce – Modern Materials Handling

Engineer Speed and Governance for AI-Era Delivery

William Attardi on April 14, 2026

AI increases developer throughput, but without engineered platforms it amplifies risk. This Harvard Business Review Analytic Services whitepaper sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) shows how leading companies combine faster CI/CD, predictive observability, AI-assisted testing, and supply-chain governance to reduce defects, cut lead time, and lower incident noise. Learn concrete practices and the KPIs that show ROI so your team can scale AI responsibly on AWS. .

Key takeaways of learning:

  • Strategies to implement the four pillars of modern software development.
  • Paths to successful adoption of modern software practices.
  • Ways to balance innovation with security and governance.
  • Best practices for integrating AI into development processes.

Embracing modern software development practices in the AI era

Utilities Plan to Spend $1.4 Trillion Over Next Five Years to Power AI Boom by Jennifer Hiller

William Attardi on April 14, 2026

U.S. utilities are planning a historic investment spree to patch up an aging power grid and meet rising electricity demand for the artificial-intelligence boom. Capital spending plans for 51 investor-owned utilities have reached an estimated $1.4 trillion for the next five years, according to a new report from PowerLines, a consumer education group. That is up more than 20% from a year ago, when the companies planned to spend about $1.1 trillion over a five-year period. The record levels of capital investments are being driven by fresh demand on an aging electricity system that already needed upgrades. Unlike any prior customer, new AI data centers can consume the same amount of electricity as an entire city, with high demand around the clock. Beyond AI, many utilities are trying to keep up with growth in manufacturing, electric vehicles and residential markets, too. Utilities Plan to Spend $1.4 Trillion Over Next Five Years to Power AI Boom – WSJ

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.