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Dept. of Labor Launches AI-Focused Apprenticeship Website

William Attardi on May 5, 2026

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the launch of its AI in Registered Apprenticeship Innovation Portal, a one-stop resource for organizations looking to build artificial intelligence literacy and develop AI-focused Registered Apprenticeship programs. Announced during the National Apprenticeship Week event, “Building the AI-Ready Workforce through Registered Apprenticeship,” the website provides practical tools and actionable guidance to help organizations integrate artificial intelligence skills into Registered Apprenticeship programs through skill-building resources, industry-specific training, and flexible program pathways. The initiative builds on the objectives laid out in the department’s AI Literacy Frameworkthat was released earlier this year. Dept. of Labor Launches AI-Focused Apprenticeship Website – tEDmag

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

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

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 Rise of Supply Chains That Adapt by Professor Jeannette Song

William Attardi on April 10, 2026

Professor Song explains how AI is turning supply chains from rigid workflows into adaptive, decision-making systems. When you click “buy now” on online stores, recommendations appear, warehouses spring into action, and packages begin their journey to your door. Behind that seamless experience is a fundamental transformation. Supply chains, once governed by fixed rules and human planning, are becoming AI-driven systems that learn, adapt, and increasingly act on their own. In her book chapter, Reshaping Supply Chains Through AI-Empowered Automation, Jeannette Song, the R.David Thomas Professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business argues that AI is fundamentally changing how supply chains work.“AI is reshaping supply chains in four connected ways: expanding automation across the chain, changing how humans and machines work together,” she said, “raising new questions about privacy and accountability, and pointing toward a future of more autonomous, agentic systems.” The Rise of Supply Chains That Adapt

Washington Wire: Permitting, AI, ENERGY STAR, and MOU Activity

William Attardi on April 1, 2026

NAED’s Government Relations department is keeping our members updated about current happenings in D.C.  The latest Washington Wire is here, recapping permitting legislation, the White House’s new National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, a shift in leadership at ENERGY STAR®, and what NAED and its MoU partners are doing on Capitol Hill. Get the latest updates on important events taking shape in Washington, D.C.   Washington Wire: Permitting, AI, ENERGY STAR, and MOU Activity – tEDmag

AI Is Outpacing America’s Power Grid. Nuclear Must Become a National Priority by Mark Whitney

William Attardi on March 6, 2026

Nuclear energy is an immediate, national strategic imperative. Advanced nuclear technologies, including smaller, faster-to-build reactors, deliver reliable, scalable and zero-carbon power. Unlike wind or solar, nuclear operates 24/7, which is exactly what hyperscale AI data centers require. The early movers are acting:

The message is clear: secure dependable, carbon-free power now, or face capacity shortages and rising costs. AI is outpacing America’s power grid. Nuclear must become a national priority. | Utility Dive

The Future is Now for AI

William Attardi on February 21, 2026

AI is expected to have as much impact on the business world as any of the largest technological trends, including the internet and personal computers. This e-book is a terrific primer on harnessing its powers. Channel Marketing Grouprecently collaborated with Charles Labow to publish an e-book on artificial intelligence, “The AI-Enabled Distributor.” It’s a must read for any executive in the electrical market who needs a solid overview of how distributors, manufacturers and representatives can use AI in their businesses. Along with analysis of the various AI models in use today, Labow includes contributions from several AI experts out in the field. Labow says, “The goal is not to convince you that AI is inevitable. You already know that. The goal is to help you think clearly about where it actually applies, where it does not, and what responsible leadership looks like in this moment.” The book is available for $39 through this PayPal link.

The Building Industry Stands at a Pivotal Moment

William Attardi on February 5, 2026

Rapidly changing technology, growing environmental awareness, and a host of other factors are impacting the building industry—in a time of unprecedented transformation, the built environment is at a pivotal moment. Facility managers and building operators face difficult maintenance and service challenges and decisions that point to a clear reality—buildings must evolve. As a key contributor to driving success and achieving goals, your building is central to these challenges and solutions, so understanding technological advancements and trends is crucial. Is your building ready for what’s ahead? DOWNLOAD THE REPORT AT: The Future-Ready Building: 8 Business Drivers Advancing Building Technology | Trane Commercial HVAC

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