Learners Live

Did you Know?
Menu

DALI Alliance to Host Third Annual DALI North America Summit in Dallas

William Attardi on May 2, 2026

The DALI Alliance announces that its 3rd Annual DALI North America Summit will take place September 16 and 17 in Dallas, Texas, alongside ArchLIGHT Summit, the commercial and architectural lighting event held September 15 and 16 at Dallas Market Center. The DALI Summit brings together lighting designers, manufacturers, integrators, and technology providers to explore the latest developments in standardized lighting control and smart building integration. The event continues to grow as a key forum for advancing interoperability, data-driven lighting, and the role of lighting within connected building systems.  DALI Alliance to Host 3rd Annual DALI North America Summit in Dallas | EC&M

LiFi Technology Update

William Attardi on May 1, 2026

PureLiFi & Askey are working together to extend the capabilities of wireless power transmission that uses light generated by LED lighting systems. PureLiFi, Edinbugh, United Kingdom, a large provider of LiFi technology, announced a landmark partnership with Askey, a manufacturer of advanced network communications equipment, for the Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) market. Askey will pioneer the demonstration of a fully integrated “all-in-one” solution that combines a high-performance 5G modem and pureLiFi’s proprietary through-window bridging technology in a streamlined self-installable solution. Developer are working on extending the range of LiFi systems, which is currently  relatively limited. Signify is also working with LiFi through its trulifi system. Several media reports said that LiFi has the capacity to be 100 faster the conventional WiFi. LiFi Technology Update | Electrical Wholesaling

NAED Opens Registration For The 2026 Marketing Summit

William Attardi on May 1, 2026

The race has begun for the 2026 NAED Marketing Summit, as registration is now open for the event, August 3-5 in Indianapolis, IN. This year’s theme is “Shift, Accelerate, Outpace”, which could not be more appropriate as we navigate so much change and at a higher rate of speed. The 2026 Marketing Summit is targeted at Marketers working in electrical distribution, manufacturing, and rep agencies who want to evolve their approach to content strategy, cross-functional alignment, AI, and building marketing programs that can scale. NAED Opens Registration For The 2026 Marketing Summit – tEDmag

Weekly Jobless Claims Hits Lowest Level in 5 Decades

William Attardi on May 1, 2026

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits last week fell to its lowest level in more than 50 years, according to the latest report from the U.S. Department of Labor.  In the week ending April 25, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claimswas 189,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week’s revised level. The previous week’s level was revised up by 1,000 from 214,000 to 215,000. The 4-week moving average was 207,500, a decrease of 3,500 from the previous week’s revised average. The previous week’s average was revised up by 250 from 210,750 to 211,000. The advance seasonally adjusted insured unemployment rate was 1.2 percent for the week ending April 18, unchanged from the previous week’s unrevised rate. Weekly Jobless Claims Hits Lowest Level in 5 Decades – tEDmag

USGS Says Appalachian Lithium Could Support EV Battery Demand by Jacob Lorinc

William Attardi on April 29, 2026

Parts of the Appalachian region of the eastern U.S. hold enough lithium to curb America’s reliance on imports for centuries, according to new research by the U.S. Geological Survey, underscoring domestic resource potential as demand for critical minerals accelerates. The areas — primarily covering Maine, New Hampshire and the Carolinas, holds an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered, economically recoverable lithium, said a USGS study published April 28. That’s enough of the battery metal to replace 328 years of U.S. imports at last year’s level, and enough to power 130 million electric vehicles or 1.6 million grid-scale batteries, the agency said. Global lithium supply remains concentrated, with China dominating the world’s supply of processed lithium. USGS Says Appalachian Lithium Could Support EV Battery Demand – TT

Tariff Q&A with NAED Director of Government Relations, Bud DeFlaviis

William Attardi on April 28, 2026

tED magazine talks with NAED’s Director of Government Relations, Bud DeFlaviis, about why distributors usually do not have a direct claim to IEEPA tariff refunds, why unwinding tariff-driven price increases is so difficult, and how distributors can explain that reality to customers. tED Magazine: Bud, what is the biggest misunderstanding in the market right now about tariff refunds? Bud DeFlaviis: We hear a lot that since the IEEPA tariffs were struck down, everyone who absorbed higher prices will easily get money back. That’s not how this works. The Supreme Court’s February 20, 2026 ruling held that IEEPA did not authorize the broad reciprocal and drug-trafficking tariffs, and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) has launched its refund process using a tool called CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries). But that government refund process is built around the importer of record — the party that paid Customs — not every company farther down the supply chain that later paid higher prices.  tED Magazine: So who actually has the legal claim to a refund? Bud: In most cases, the importer of record does.  tED Magazine: Are the tariffs gone? Are they coming back? Bud: The IEEPA tariffs are gone. However, other tariffs imposed under the Trump administration remain in effect and the President has signaled that he wants to continue to find mechanisms to impose additional tariffs. Tariff Q&A With NAED Director of Government Relations, Bud DeFlaviis – tEDmag

Utility Spending is Rising: A Review of Utility Capital Expenditure Plans

William Attardi on April 24, 2026

Utility affordability remains a top issue for energy consumers across the U.S. as rising electricity demand and an aging grid coincide with increasing costs across the energy supply chain. In a comprehensive review of 51 investor-owned utility earnings calls in recent months, PowerLines found that investor-owned utilities proposed to spend at least $1.4 trillion over the next five years through 2030 on capital expenditures (CapEx)—a more than 21 percent increase over the $1.1 trillion over a five-year period outlined last year. Much of these CapEx costs could eventually be passed on to consumers, as utilities file rate increase requests that could result in higher utility bills. Utility Spending is Rising: A Review of Utility Capital Expenditure Plans

Welcome to the NEMRA Lighting Division

William Attardi on April 23, 2026

NEMRA Lighting Division is dedicated to empowering independent lighting representatives and their manufacturing partners. Membership in NEMRA Lighting Division connects you to a powerful network of professionals, programs, and resources powered by three core pillars: Advocacy, Education, and Networking. NEMRA Lighting champions the voice of independent lighting agencies and manufacturers, empowers members by building capabilities, and fosters connections for strong partnerships. Through Advocacy, Education, and Networking, your NEMRA Lighting Division membership equips you with professional development, relationships, and business strategies to give you a competitive advantage. NEMRA Lighting Division

Blue Energy Raises $380M to Build Grid-Scale Nuclear Reactors in Shipyards

William Attardi on April 23, 2026

As the grid strains under the weight of electrification and AI data centers, tech companies and utilities have been evaluating whether nuclear power can help with the burden. Blue Energy wants to build nuclear reactors in shipyards because these locations can handle large amounts of steel and can be easily shipped to the project site once completed. Once the reactor and other parts are completed in the shipyard, the company plans to move them to the installation site via barge. Though that limits the total number of sites Blue Energy can address, the company can still use rivers to reach deep into the U.S., Europe, Africa, and Asia. Blue Energy raises $380M to build grid-scale nuclear reactors in shipyards | TechCrunch

DOE Explores Using Its Lands for Data Centers

William Attardi on April 23, 2026

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is helping ensure America leads the world in Artificial Intelligence (AI) while helping to lower energy costs by co-locating data centers and new energy infrastructure on DOE lands. To support this effort, DOE’s Office of Policy released a Request for Information (RFI) to inform possible use of DOE land for artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure development to support growing demand for data centers. DOE has identified 16 potential sites uniquely positioned for rapid data center construction, including in-place energy infrastructure with the ability to fast-track permitting for new energy generation, such as nuclear.

View the full PDF RFI.   DOE Explores Using Its Lands for Data Centers – electrifiED

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – The last time human beings headed moonward was on the Apollo 17 flight that launched Dec. 7, 1972—before any of the Artemis II crew members were born. Today’s crew will not land on the moon—they won’t even orbit the moon. But they will whip around the lunar far side, on a shakedown mission test-flying the Orion spacecraft. This is essential preparatory work for achieving NASA’s bigger lunar goals. Next year there will be another test flight in low Earth orbit during the flight of Artemis III, followed by up to two moon landings by Artemis IV and V in 2028, and annual landings thereafter. Unlike the Apollo program, Artemis aims not just for the so-called flags-and-footprints model of short, one- to three-day stays on the moon, but for a long-term presence at a long-term moon base in the south lunar pole, where deposits of ice can provide drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and oxygen-hydrogen rocket fuel. Very much like the Apollo program, Artemis finds itself in a closely watched moon race, not with the old Soviet Union this time, but with China, which has announced its intention to have astronauts on the moon by 2030. The U.S. is not going it alone this time, however. While Apollo was an entirely American enterprise, Artemis flies under the flag of 60 countries, signatories to the Artemis Accords, an international pact whose members vow to support the peaceful exploration of space and contribute money, modules, and astronauts to the Artemis cause. Artemis II Has Launched. Here’s Everything You Need to Know