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Around the Circuit
AGC Members Urge
Senate to Pass Gulf Coast Recovery Act
Four members of the Associated General Contractors of
America (AGC) testified before a Congressional subcommittee in favor of
the Gulf Coast Recovery Act (S. 1761). The proposed policy would limit
the risk of liability that contractors face when responding to a
natural
disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina. The bill would also block court
actions that could stall the recovery from a major disaster. Under the
act, contractors may still face any enforcement action that any
federal,
state, or local agency may bring. In addition, it does not limit any
public agency's authority to ensure full compliance with its rules and
regulations or to punish non-compliance, and all environmental, safety
and health, labor and ethics laws would still apply. In cases of
recklessness or willful misconduct, contractors would be fully liable
for any personal injury or property damage.
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NEMA
Publishes
Revised Standard for Measuring Distribution Transformer Loss
NEMA recently published TP 2-2005, "Standard Test
Method
for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Distribution Transformers." The
revised standard offers a standardized method for measurement of
distribution transformer loss to achieve efficiency levels outlined in
NEMA's TP 1, "Guide for Determining Energy Efficiency for Distribution
Transformers." The U.S. Department of Energy's concerns with the
previous version of the standard prompted the revision, which is
intended to make TP 2 acceptable under the Energy Policy and
Conservation Act of 2005.
Federal Reserve
Releases "Beige Book" Findings
The Federal Reserve recently released the latest "Beige
Book" survey of economic conditions in the 12 federal districts known
by
their headquarters city. The report cited continued expanding economic
activity in September with most districts describing the pace as
moderate or gradual. According to the survey, all the districts
reporting on commercial real estate conditions noted rising demand for
office, retail, or industrial space. These findings are consistent with
a survey of the top 70 U.S. office markets conducted by Reis, Inc., a
commercial real-estate research firm, in which the company reported
that
the U.S. office vacancy rate dropped to 15.1% in the third quarter from
15.4% in the second from a peak of 16.9% in the first quarter of 2004.
The Reis survey results continued with rents up 2.2% from the beginning
of this year and restrained construction in all districts. Just 6.5
million square feet of new office buildings were completed in the third
quarter, down from 8.3 million square feet a year ago.
IEEE to
Release New Battery-Monitoring Standard
IEEE 1491-2005, "Guide for Selection and Use of Battery
Monitoring Equipment in Stationary Applications," is scheduled to be
released as an IEEE and ANSI Standards publication this month. IEEE
1491
is a guide document that defines battery monitoring equipment for
stationary battery types -- vented lead acid, valve-regulated lead
acid, and nickel cadmium -- in applications for areas such as
uninterruptible power systems, telecommunications facilities, and
utility applications. The standard defines 17 battery measurement
parameters and includes safety, communications, security, software, and
electrical references.
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Project Watch
Virginia Tech
Seeks Proposals for Consulting Services
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
University, an agency of the Commonwealth of Virginia, has issued a
request for bids from contractors to provide electricity consulting
services. The contractors shall furnish all expertise, labor, and
resources for complete services needed to assist in the solicitation,
procurement, evaluation, and negotiation of a wholesale contract for
the
electrical requirements of Virginia Tech. All inquiries for information
regarding this solicitation should be directed to Pamela R. Conner,
VCO,
by phone at (540) 231-7852 or e-mail at pconner@vt.edu.
Sealed proposals will be received until Nov. 30 at 3 p.m. EST. To
download a pdf of the application, visit Virginia Tech's Web
site.
University of
North Texas Requests Bids
The University of North Texas is soliciting bids for
electrical work at its Eagle Point campus. The project consists of
miscellaneous electrical work, including the installation of exterior
lighting. The estimated cost of this work is $100,000. A pre-proposal
meeting will be held Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. CST at the UNT Facilities Main
Office Conference Room #108 at 2204 W. Prairie St., Denton, Texas. The
deadline for proposals is Dec. 1 at 2 p.m. CST. For more information,
visit the university's Web
site.
Web Exclusives
Business Brief
Albuquerque, N.M.-based Advent Solar, Inc. recently
announced plans to build a 25MW solar cell plant with $30 million in
Series C funding. The new production facility will be located in Mesa
del Sol, a 12,000-acre development and solar cluster in Albuquerque.
The
company expects the full line of advanced PV cells and modules to be in
full production by 2007.
For more Business Briefs, visit
EC&M's Web
site.
Eye on Safety
ASSE Offers Advice for Making
Workplace Safe for Aging Employees
The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)
recently
urged safety professionals to prepare for an aging workforce. The
Department of Labor's workplace statistics for 2004 show that those 64
and older had the lowest number of workplace injuries, but the fatality
rate for those 55 and older rose by 10%. Most of those fatalities were
transportation-related, from falls, from being struck by an object and
from homicides. ASSE members offer the following suggestions for
accommodating older workers:
-Improve illumination and add color
contrast.
-Eliminate heavy lifts, elevated work from ladders and
long
reaches.
-Increase task rotation, which will reduce the strain of
repetitive motion.
-Lengthen time requirements between steps in a
task.
-Consider necessary reaction time when assigning older
workers
to tasks.
Shows and Events
Aerial
Platform Safety Conference & Expo
Lift Applications & Equipment, in conjunction
with Aerial Work Platform Training (AWPT), Inc., has scheduled the
second annual Aerial Platform Safety Conference & Expo for Nov. 30 to
Dec. 2 in Houston. Sessions will include R. Fernando Vazquez, EHS
representative with APAC-Southeast, Inc., presenting "Dealing with a
Latino Workforce;" Dennis Eckstine, AWPT, Inc., as moderator of "Safety
By Design: Technical Innovations to Improve Aerial Equipment Safety;"
and Brad Boehler, Skyjack, on "Maintenance Responsibilities of Dealers
and Owners: A Review of Standards." To register for the event, visit
the
conference's Web
site.
Power-Gen
International
Power-Gen International is scheduled for Dec. 6-8 at
the
Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev. The keynote speeches
for this year's event include examples from the field from Andrew C.
White, president and CEO, Nuclear Division, GE Energy; Michael R.
Niggli, president, Sempra Generation; and Jim Gordon, president, Energy
Management, Inc. In addition, the conference will offer Competitive
Power College courses, technical tours, and a golf tournament. For a
complete listing of events, visit the Power-Gen International Web
site.
FEDcon
2005
The National Institute of Building Sciences will
present
FEDcon 2005, the Market Outlook Conference on Federal Construction, on
Dec. 14 at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This
year's event will address present building budgets and construction
forecasts and provide updates on the effects new regulations have on
federally commissioned projects. For more information, visit the
Ecobuild Federal Web
site.
IEEE PES
Transmission & Distribution Conference and Expo
The IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference &
Exposition has been rescheduled for May 21-26, 2006, in Dallas. TXU
Electric Delivery and Entergy will co-host the event. The opening
reception will be held the evening of May 21 while the exposition and
technical sessions are slated for May 22-24. Additional technical
sessions and committee meetings are scheduled during the remainder of
the week. For more information, visit the IEEE PES T&D Web site. Registration
and hotel information will be available after the first of next year.
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