NEMA Currents Blog

Bye-Bye Clunkers

One of the common threads you'll see in the discussion about "cash for clunkers" is that it was a phenomenal success (see here and here for examples). The program did manage to lift auto sales temporarily by 600,000 units, that much is true. Unfortunately, July and August sales are likely...

Published Fri, Aug 28 2009 3:16 PM by Lego, Brian

Filed under: Economics

Nanotechnology Standards Essential for DICOS

When I learned that NEMA received an award from DHS to write a new Digital Communication in Security (DICOS) standard for airports, I couldn't help but think about the vital role nanotechnology will play in the functioning of critical sensor equipment used in high security facilities. Yet the reliability...

Published Thu, Aug 27 2009 3:05 PM by leibowitzm

Filed under: DICOS, Nanotechnology, Emerging Technologies

More Federal Incentives for NEMA Members...

Before leaving on August recess, Senator Bingaman (NM) introduced a bill, S. 1639, the Expanding Industrial Energy Efficiency Incentives Act. This bill includes the NEMA-advocated advanced motor technology tax credit. What makes this bill even more promising is that, Senator Jeff Bingaman is the Chairman...

Published Thu, Aug 27 2009 9:31 AM by Hansen, Dain

Filed under: Energy Efficiency, Taxation, manufacturing, Tax

Do We Lack the Political Will to Implement a Sound Energy Policy?

Interesting proposal for an energy plan in the WaPo this week. David Crane, head of NRG Energy , observed that while visionary energy plans are nice to ponder -- take, for example, Al Gore's proposal to energize the entire country with 90-square-miles worth of solar panels in the Southwest desert...

Published Thu, Aug 27 2009 9:14 AM by golds

Filed under: energy

A Year in the Life of the CPSC

On August 14, 2008, former President George W. Bush signed into law the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-314), landmark legislation to reauthorize and strengthen the the CPSC. At the time, the CPSC was operating with a two-member quorum comprised of one Republican appointee...

Published Wed, Aug 26 2009 3:01 PM by Owen, Sarah

Filed under: AFCI, CPSC, Carbon Monoxide, GFCI

Tamper-Resistant Receptacle Requirements in 2008 NEC Adopted in 29 States

With 30 states having completed adoption processes for the 2008 National Electrical Code® (NEC), support for section 406.11, which requires tamper-resistant receptacles to be installed in new homes, has been overwhelmingly positive. Twenty-nine of the 30 states have adopted the 2008 NEC with the...

Published Wed, Aug 26 2009 10:20 AM by Moldoveanu, Andrei

Filed under: Electrical Safety, Safety and Standardization, electricity, Tamper Resistant Receptacles, 2008 NEC, Indiana

Stimulus, Clean Energy, and Democracy

In my last blog I mentioned Tom Friedman's suggestion that clean energy policy might benefit from a less than democratic policy-making process. My own opinion was that we did not need to throw out the Constitution for one issue, but within our constitutional framework the legislature could structure...

Published Tue, Aug 25 2009 3:25 PM by Silcox, Clark

Filed under: renewable energy, climate change

More Trouble Brewing on the Home Front?

Improving data on new home construction and existing home sales provide the strongest evidence yet that the U.S. housing market is in the midst of a nascent recovery. Unfortunately, concerns are aplenty that several issues could throw a monkey-wrench into things and turn the recovery into a falling house...

Published Fri, Aug 21 2009 3:31 PM by Lego, Brian

Filed under: Economics

Health Care Reform We Can Afford

Finally, a form of health care reform that will save us money and lives. No, I'm not talking about the massive, complex, and costly bill that passed through the House Energy and Commerce Committee at the end of July. I'm talking about efforts by the Obama administration -- and a multitude of...

Published Fri, Aug 21 2009 1:51 PM by golds

Filed under: Health Care, health information technology

It's Flip-Flop Season

"I will not be an automatic 60th vote. And I would illustrate that by my position on employees' choice, also known as card check. I think it is a bad bill and I'm opposed to it and would not vote to invoke cloture. " -- Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA), in a news conference announcing his...

Published Wed, Aug 19 2009 11:01 AM by Owen, Sarah

Filed under: Card Check, EFCA, Arlen Specter

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