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AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows by Michael Delgado

William Attardi on May 26, 2026

Workflows at distributors have been more or less the same for decades. Quoting, order entry, PO tracking and invoicing still rely on emails, spreadsheets and ERPs with manual effort expected to close the gap. That model worked when volumes were lower and expectations were more forgiving, but the world is changing.AI does not just speed up existing processes, it changes where the work starts. Instead of manually decoding customer requests from zero, teams can rely on AI to interpret imprecise inputs and return accurate product matches. Translating requests into usable data becomes a background process that happens before a request ever reaches a sales rep. AI also has a level of adaptability that traditional software lacks. It learns over time, picking up on customer preferences and surfacing relevant SKUs and frequently ordered items preemptively. The result is a faster, more accurate quoting process, and reps who are free to spend time with customers instead of spreadsheets. AI has moved from a competitive advantage to a baseline requirement to keep pace. AI Is Enabling the Next Generation of Distributor Workflows | Electrical Wholesaling

SpaceX Wants to Blast Data Centers Into Orbit. Here’s What It May Take by Claire Hogan

William Attardi on May 5, 2026

Earlier this year, SpaceX filed an application with the FCC petitioning to launch up to a million satellites as part of an “orbital data center.” It has also become a big part of Elon Musk’spitch to investors ahead of his massive SpaceX IPO. We asked an engineer to break down the biggest technical hurdles and costly barriers to putting data centers in space. Watch the video to see what it would actually take to make it work.  SpaceX Wants to Blast Data Centers Into Orbit. Here’s What It May Take. – WSJ

The April 2026 Issue of Electrical Construction and Maintenance (EC&M)

William Attardi on May 4, 2026

Opportunities and Obstacles in the AI Data Center Market | EC&M

A New Model for Increasing Data Center Build Speed | EC&M

Rethinking Data Center Construction for Electrical Contractors | EC&M

Addressing Power Quality Challenges in AI Data Centers | EC&M

Environmental Conditions That Impact Industrial Lighting Reliability | EC&M

Smart Home Lighting: A New Revenue Stream for Contractors | EC&M

Harnessing the Power of Connected Lighting Systems and IoT | EC&M

Home | EC&M

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

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

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

Construction Jobs Increase in 38 States Year-Over-Year

William Attardi on April 10, 2026

Construction employment rose in 38 states from January 2025 to January 2026, while 40 states and the District of Columbia added jobs between December and January, according to an analysis of new federal data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials called on policymakers in Washington to provide adequate support for training to enable workers to acquire in-demand skills and to allow qualified workers into the U.S when needed workers are not available. View January 2026 state employment data and 1-month, 12-month rankings.  Association officials noted that the industry has a critical need for electricians and other workers with the skills to construct data centers and power projects. They urged the federal government to direct more funding to career and technical education and workforce training and to offer a pathway to employ needed workers from other countries.   Construction Jobs Increase in 38 States Year-Over-Year – tEDmag

How the Red-Hot AI Data Center Boom Is Igniting Demand for a New, Lucrative Career Path: Trade Workers

William Attardi on March 23, 2026

Demand for new AI data centers is surging, but they can’t build themselves. Big Tech is funneling billions into building out these specialized facilities, with the four hyperscalers, Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta, and Amazon, committing nearly $700 billion in combined capex spending this year to fund these developments. While anxiety around AI replacing white-collar jobs has reached a fever pitch, the data center boom is creating lucrative opportunities for skilled trade workers. Between 2022 and 2026, demand for robotic technicians increased by 107%. For cooling — or HVAC — system engineers, the growth rate was 67%, workers and electricians increased by 27% and vacancies for industrial automation technicians grew by 51%. Meanwhile, it’s essential to update outdated mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems every four to six years. Specialized and technical professionals moving into high-level data center roles often see a 25% to 30% pay increase.  AI ignites demand for tradespeople powering data center build-out

MicroLEDs: from Headlamps to the Data Center

William Attardi on March 16, 2026

When we think about the evolution of AI technology, developments in machine learning and large language models come readily to mind, as do the latest graphics processing units (GPUs), high-bandwidth memory (HBM), and exotic semiconductor technologies such as chiplets and heterogeneous integration.  But car headlamps? Automotive lighting is not usually seen as an inspiration for the next big thing in AI. Interestingly however, high-tech ‘adaptive beam’ front lights are proving the reliability and scalability of a valuable optical connectivity technology which could help data center operators to meet today’s challenges of increasing network bandwidth, efficiency and reliability. But let’s take a step back to understand how headlamps could possibly be relevant to the technology of AI data centers at: [News] MicroLEDs: from Headlamps to the Data Center – LEDinside

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names