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Print ArticleA recent report from the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) indicates that confidence in the North American electrical industry's prospects remained near a seven-year low in January.
That is "strongly suggestive of substantial deterioration in the business climate at the outset of the new year. Indeed, for the first time in memory, not a single survey respondent reported improved conditions in January," the association said in a statement.
The report is compiled from data gathered in a monthly survey of senior managers at NEMA member companies.
With that said, however, not all is grim. After all, in recent years, the renewable energy industry has grown three times as fast as the U.S. economy. And currently the hottest jobs in the green-collar area include engineers and electrical professionals.
According to the Green Collar Jobs Report — produced by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) — the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries accounted for more than 9 million jobs and more than $1 billion in U.S. revenue in 2007. If current growth trends continue, those numbers could jump to 37 billion jobs and more than $4 billion revenue.
While there's a new sense of optimism in the green economy, meaning millions of potential job openings in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sector, we need public policy set in place at the federal and state levels.
Which leads me to the $819 billion economic stimulus package that's working its way through legistation right now. It has the potential to provide huge relief for electrical contractors who stand to benefit from energy-efficiency incentives.
