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Around the Circuit
Report on State
Spending Reveals Increase in Infrastructure Funding
According to a recent report released by the National
Association of State Budget Officers, states' capital spending on
infrastructure, including transportation, education, and correctional
facilities, rose 9.2% in fiscal 2004 to an estimated $71.6 billion. A
6%
decrease from 2002, the 2003 total was $65.5 billion. Because of the
ever-changing nature of capital spending, due to long construction
timetables and unforeseen or delayed project costs, increases in state
spending on capital projects are typically followed by a significant
slowdown or decrease, the report notes. The largest category of state
capital expenditures, estimated at $41.3 billion for 2004,
transportation increased 5.9% from the previous year. After
experiencing
a 14.7% decrease in 2003 from 2002, higher education rose 21% in 2004
to
an estimated $9 billion. Forecasted to reach $1.5 billion in 2004,
corrections spending was up 16% from 2003, but not much higher than
2002's $1.4 billion. Where does the money come from? As far as funding
goes, states secured 35% of their capital budgets from dedicated fees
and fund surpluses, 33% from bonds, 27% from federal funds, and 5% from
state general funds. To view the entire report, click here.
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Counterfeit
Lighting, Electrical Products Cause Serious Safety Concerns
When you hear that Christmas tree lights are being
faked
these days, you start to realize the scope of the counterfeiting crisis
that exists in the electrical industry. According to the National
Lighting Bureau (NLB), millions of dollars worth of counterfeit
lighting
and other electrical system products are finding their way into the
U.S.
supply chain each month, creating serious safety hazards in buildings
across the country. According to John Bachner, director of
communications at the NLB, many of the counterfeits appear to be
exact duplicates of the originals, including trademarks and
certification marks on the products and packages themselves. Noting
that
many of the products involved are used as components, such as
contactors, overload relays, circuit breakers, and push buttons,
Bachner
cites a few recent examples of typical problems. In one raid, U.S.
Customs officials seized ground-fault circuit interrupters that had no
protective circuitry. In another, they confiscated counterfeit
electrical cords and power strips that melted and caught fire during
testing by Underwriters Laboratories.
AGC Believes Tax
Bill
Will Benefit Contractors
Congress recently sent the "American Jobs Creation Act"
to the President for approval. Lobbying on behalf of many of the
business tax incentives included in this bill, the Associated General
Contractors of America (AGC) supports HR 4520, noting that it contains
many provisions that will benefit general contractors, stimulate
construction, and make whole the highway Trust Fund (HTF). A few of the
provisions affecting construction include Tax Deduction for
Manufacturing and Small Business Expensing. The first
provision
provides
a tax deduction that eventually reaches 9% on all domestic
manufacturing activity, including construction, architectural, and
engineering services performed on construction projects in the United
States. Available to C and S corporations, partnerships, sole
proprietors, cooperatives, and estates and trusts, this deduction
equals
3% in 2005 and 2006, 6% in 2007-2009, and 9% in 2010 and beyond.
Extending the enhanced limits on section 179 expensing through 2007,
the
second provision enables small businesses (taxpayers purchasing less
than $400,000 of new equipment in a taxable year) to deduct as much as
$100,000 of new investments.
USPS, FedEx
Boost
California's Solar Power Resources
In two separate projects, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS)
and
FedEx recently brought more solar power to The Golden State. In
mid-October, the USPS dedicated one of the nation's
largest federal solar installations at its major Northern California
hub
-- the West Sacramento Processing & Distribution Center, a
573,000-square-feet facility employing more than 1,200 and processing
eight
to
10 million pieces of mail per day. The 403kW solar electric system is
mounted on a new parking structure and covers nearly 28,000 square
feet.
Scheduled for completion in May 2005, FedEx announced the installation
of California's largest corporate solar array at its hub in Oakland
International Airport. The 904kW solar array will provide approximately
80% of the peak load demand for the facility and will cover
71,000 square feet on the roofs of two buildings. Sunlight will be
converted
directly into electricity by 5,769 photovoltaic modules, comprising more
than 300,000 solar cells.
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 The Only Thing That Will Go Faster Than This Year's
Collectible Is The Real Thing
The 2005 collectible from IDEAL comes fully loaded and packed with
attitude. It features a Cadillac Escalade EXT hauling a pair of Orange
County Choppers. You could also qualify to win a custom IDEAL Orange
County
Chopper in the Born to be Wired Sweepstakes. Visit www.idealindustries.com
for details and then head to your local IDEAL distributor today to find
out how you can become part of the excitement.
Project Watch
Portland Calls
for
Bids
on Urban
Renewal Project
Subcontractors interested in bidding on electrical work
for Hoffman Construction Co.'s recent call for bids on the South
Waterfront/North Macadam project in Portland, Ore., have until December
2004 to submit proposals for the OHSU River Campus Building One and
Meriwether Condominium Towers. This urban renewal area contains a
significant amount of property that has been largely underused for
many years because of technical difficulties, environmental
remediation, and the need for transportation infrastructure
improvements. During the past 15 years, development has changed to
mixed
commercial and residential development from industrial functions. For
background on the project, visit the Portland Development Commission's
Web site. To
receive an e-mailed invitation to bid when bid documents are issued,
fill out an online
request for information.
Texas Parks
and
Wildlife Announces Electrical Renovation Project
The state of Texas' Parks and Wildlife Department
recently released a list of construction jobs, including one electrical
renovation project at the Elephant Mountain Wildlife Management Area.
The project includes electrical renovations estimated at $90,000 to
$110,000 with a performance period of 100 calendar days. Interested
parties should submit sealed bids to Contracting and Project Management
Systems Branch, Infrastructure Division, Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas, 78744 before 2 p.m.
on
Nov. 4, 2004. Note: Actual construction work may not begin prior to
April 1, 2005. For bidding and contract documents (available at no
charge) call (512) 389-4442 or e-mail. For more
information online, read the notice
to bidders.
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 Contractors Earn Free Merchandise From
B-Line
Introducing the Great GearSM program, a way to acquire free
gifts by collecting and redeeming
B-Line Bucks found on
B-Line's
fastener product boxes. Simply remove your B-Line Bucks from the box
label and use them to select from a wide assortment of gear in B-Line's
Great Gear catalog. To obtain a catalog and order forms, see your local
B-Line distributor, or visit our Web site at www.b-line.com.
Zone Exclusives
Service Your
Customers With the Proper Feed
Defining where your service entrance starts and ends is
a key step in the electrical design process. Omitting this step can
result in rework or excess cost if you're lucky, and catastrophic
failure if you're not. Mike Holt, EC&M's Code consultant,
reviews
the requirements of Art. 230 for electrical services. Visit EC&M's Web site for the full
article.
Eye on
Safety
Whether you're looking for interpretations of the
latest
National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) standards, updates on recent
revisions and amendments, white papers and presentations from industry
experts, news updates, or electrical safety tips, the NESC Zone is a
one-stop online resource for NESC information. Published by the IEEE,
NESC rules are intended to provide the practical safeguarding of
persons
during the installation, operation, or maintenance of electric supply
and communication lines and associated equipment. For more information,
visit the Web
site.
On the Job and Out to
Lunch
Everyone makes mistakes. Some are just funnier than
others. Got a story about a jobsite blunder you'd like to share? Send us your
story of embarrassing on-the-job mistakes for use in EC&M's new
column called Short Circuits. If we publish it, we'll send you a check
for $25. Read the latest stories
from your fellow readers.
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Shows and Events
Power Quality
Exhibition & Conference
The August 14th blackout last year made businesses
everywhere
recognize their vulnerability to power interruptions and put a premium
on power quality professionals that are capable of leading their
companies to
the
right products and solutions. The 15th Annual Power Quality Exhibition
&
Conference, presented by PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media, will be
held Nov. 16-18 at Navy Pier in Chicago. The event will provide a venue
for engineers to see, test, and price the latest power quality and
power
reliability products and equipment, and to learn about power quality
issues, technologies, and methods from leading industry authorities.
For
more information, visit the event Web site or
download a conference brochure.
Power-Gen
International
With tracks covering power industry trends, competitive
power generation, environmental issues, fossil technologies, gas
turbine
technologies, emerging/renewable technologies, on-site power, and plant
performance issues, there's something of interest for every power
professional at the upcoming Power-Gen International, to be held Nov.
30-Dec. 2 in Orlando, Fla. Attendees will have the opportunity to
gain valuable networking time with leading industry experts as well as
take advantage of the comprehensive conference program and extensive
exhibit hall. For
more information, visit the event Web site or register
online.
Battcon 2005
Call
for Papers
Whether you're in R&D, education, manufacturing, or on
the service side of the business, coordinators of the Ninth Annual
Battcon 2005 International Battery Conference would like to hear from
you. Designed to meet the needs of end-users and manufacturers of
batteries and battery test equipment, this event is scheduled for May
2-4 in Miami Beach, Fla. If you're interested in presenting, submit
your
half-page abstract by e-mail (Word format) before Jan. 10, 2005. Upon
acceptance, complete your paper by Feb. 15, 2005. Presenters will be
allotted 20-minute time slots, with a question and answer period
following. For more details, read the Call
for Papers and Author
Style Guide or send an e-mail.
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