A BARKS PUBLICATION
JUNE 2026 / $12
A BARKS PUBLICATION
JUNE 2026 / $12
Electrical Apparatus
Merging traditional
service with modern
technology
Malloy Electric’s
80-year transformation
paratus
More than Motors
Hail the air taxis
Hail the air taxis
Motors and the moon shot
Motors and the moon shot
Hiring the older worker
Hiring the older worker
New motor developments
New motor developments
Combustible dust
Combustible dust
EA Reader Profile
22 Behind the power
How Bracy Nesbit helps keep power moving across Central
Texas
By Colin Gregory-Moores, EA Contributing Writer
Electric Avenue
26 The new shape of the sky
A look at the development, technology, and urban mobility
potential of electric air taxis
By Maura Keller, EA Contributing Writer
Pump It Up
29 Water crisis management
Pumps are poised to aid in staving off water shortages
resulting from the AI boom
By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor
Energy
31 Powering a moonshot
The humble electric motor played a crucial role in carrying out
NASA’s latest lunar mission
By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor
Electrical Manager
32 Just a number?
Age, far from disqualifying a person for a job, may actually be an
asset
By Bill O’Leary, EA Contributing Writer
Conventions & Trade Shows
34 Suppliers old and new
A preview of some of the things attendees can expect to see at
the Solutions Expo at this year’s EASA Convention
By the Electrical Apparatus staff
Service & Sales Companies
45 Leading from the Heartland
Eighty years of service and training meet modern technology in
the Northern Plains
By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor
Motors & Generators
49 New developments in motors and energy conservation
standards
Recently introduced products and practices intended to save
energy and reduce downtime
By John Malinowski, EA Contributing Writer
Finance & The Workplace
53 Maintaining margins in uncertain times
How to navigate issues of planning, cost management, and pricing
By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Finance Editor
Safety & Health
55 Dust dangers
How combustible dust can cause industrial explosions and fires
— and how to prevent them
By Bill O’Leary, EA Contributing Writer
22
26
45
Contents
A BARKS PUBLICATION
VOLUME 79 / NUMBER 06
WWW.BARKS.COM
06/26
— Bracy Nesbit photo
— Manoj Kumar Tuteja / Shutterstock photo
— Malloy Electric photo
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026 1
04 The editor’s comment
A big issue packed with useful information
05 Let’s solve your problem
Dealing with electric motors when they act up
06 Business
Manufacturers embrace a shift to agentic AI
08 Associations
An agency report heralds a new ‘Age of Electricity’
10 Know your industry
EDA keeps the shock out of electrostatic discharge
14 Calendar
Upcoming events on renewable energy and metal fabrication
18 Utilities
Paper foresees data centers’ demand for electric power
44 Plant happenings
Plants close in Wis. and Ohio and open in Tex. and N.C.
44 Names & faces
New officers at EASA and new directors at Perma-Pipe
56 Product showcase
What’s new from SKF, Wolong, DeWalt, and LUCID Vision Labs
71 Classified advertising
Your monthly marketplace for equipment, businesses, and more
71 Cy’s Super Service
The electrical service industry’s most prominent curmudgeon
73 EA puzzle
A crossword puzzle based on EA’s April and May issues
COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Malloy Electric. The shop at the company’s location in Dakota Dunes, S.D.
06
10
14
Departments
75 Moe, Genny & friends
The surreal world of an anthropomorphized motor and generator
76 Direct & current
The National Safety Stand-Down and AI for the construction trades
76 Advertising index
Who’s who—and who’s where—in this issue of Electrical Apparatus
— Siemens photo
— RF studio / Pexels photo
— American Clean Power video still
2 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
www.toshiba.com/tic
(US) 1-800-231-1412
Toshiba motors are designed with bearing performance as a core priority for
long-term, dependable operation. Our 300 Series bearings deliver consistent
performance in high stress and high temperature environments and are built to
handle significant radial and axial loads in demanding industrial applications.
Engineered for Reliability in Severe Duty Applications.
The Editor’s
Comment
It’s about that time. The annual convention of the Electri-
cal Apparatus Service Association is once again upon us, set
to take place June 13-16 at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in
Orlando, Fla. We’ve got you covered in this year’s June edi-
tion of EA, with a new exhibitors’ section as well as updates
on the organization’s board of directors and more. This
year’s theme at the EASA Convention is “Cultivating Learn-
ing, Inspiring Excellence.” Look for more details in the EASA
Exhibitor Preview section (page 34).
Elsewhere in this issue, which you’ll have noticed is a hefty
76 pages thick, there’s plenty more to get excited about, start-
ing with our cover story (page 45) about a longtime EASA
member company that has managed to stick to its principles
while transforming its range of services and growing as a
company over the course of 80 years: Malloy Electric, which
has continuously proven that heritage can be the root of a
forward-looking strategy.
With more than 300 employees and a footprint spanning
eight locations across six states — from Sioux Falls and Dakota
Dunes, S.D., to Fargo and Mandan, N.D., Omaha, Neb., Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, Billings, Mont., and Gillette, Wyo. — Malloy
Electric has cemented its status as a critical industry partner.
The company’s growth is guided by its original motto: “You
can’t sell out of an empty wheelbarrow.” This philosophy
underpins a strategy of being heavy on inventory and equally
focused on service and employee retention.
Malloy’s commitment to service is now backed by a major
investment in cutting-edge technology, focusing on quality
control and repair repeatability. The company is investing
millions in emerging technologies such as laser cladding,
machining systems, proprietary AI, and advanced test stands
for motor and gearbox reliability. Turn to the cover story to
read much more about the company’s growth, services, and
more.
Meanwhile, Contributing Writer John Malinowski covers
new developments in motors and energy conservation stan-
dards in our technical article for June (page 49). John goes
in depth on NEMA’s recently developed Performance Index
standard (NEMA MG 10011-1-2025) that can be used to com-
pare the energy use of diff erent motors and drives to a base
motor that is a line-start NEMA Premium design. It is partic-
ularly useful for selecting and applying premium effi ciency
motors and drives in variable-torque applications.
We hope you’ll be able to use this issue as a resource ahead
of the convention this year, as we’ve done in the past, and
we look forward to seeing all the familiar faces in person at
Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando.
CHARLIE BARKS
WWW.BARKS.COM
CHARLIE@BARKS.COM
A big issue packed with useful
information
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Apparatus online
The entire contents
of this issue are avail-
able online. Scan the
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4 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
Have you been stumped recently by an
electromechanical application or repair
problem? Send your question to this depart-
ment, at editor@barks.com, and we’ll see
if we can give you an answer. — Editor
Series d-c motor
‘running away’
We have several GE mill-duty d-c
motors operating in a steel manufactur-
ing plant. These motors are series-type
machines and we’re concerned that
there’s risk of the motors “running
away” with catastrophic failure. Can you
explain this and help us with a solution?
A series d-c motor can “run away” if oper-
ated with little or no load, because fi eld fl ux
falls with armature current while speed
rises sharply to produce counter-EMF. If the
load is suddenly lost, speed can increase to
destructive levels, leading to commutator
failure, armature burst, or bearing damage.
The solution is to never operate unloaded,
maintain the driven load and coupling
integrity, and install overspeed protection
such as a speed switch, relay logic, or elec-
tronic drive limit.
The kVA Code letter:
How important is it?
What is the importance of kVA Code on
a motor nameplate? Should we specify a
certain code when we are buying a new
motor? Is a lower Code letter better than
a higher letter?
The kVA Code letter on a motor name-
plate indicates the locked-rotor kVA per
horsepower, essentially how much current
the motor will draw when starting across
the line. The Code letters are defi ned in
NEMA MG 1, and each letter corresponds
to a range of starting kVA per horsepower.
A higher letter means higher inrush cur-
rent. This does not make the motor better or
worse. It simply tells the designer what the
starting demand on the electrical system
will be. When specifying a motor, the code
letter may matter if the power system has
limited capacity or voltage-drop concerns.
In those cases, a lower code letter (lower
starting kVA) may be preferable.
Synchronous motor oscillation
My team is responsible for elec-
trical
maintenance
in
a
chemical
manufacturing plant. We have a 1500 hp
synchronous motor driving a compressor
load. The motor runs and synchronizes
normally, but after reaching full load
the current begins to swing back and
forth. Operators say the motor “hunts,”
and sometimes the oscillation becomes
severe enough to trip the protection sys-
tem. We’ve had this problem off and on
now for about six months. What causes a
synchronous motor to behave this way?
The condition is known as hunting, or
power-angle oscillation, and it occurs when
the rotor repeatedly moves ahead of and
behind the rotating magnetic fi eld instead
of holding a steady position.
In normal operation, a synchronous
motor rotor locks into step with the stator’s
rotating fi eld. The torque produced depends
on the angle between the rotor fi eld and the
stator fi eld — sometimes called the power
angle. System disturbances occur, such as
Let’s Solve Your Problem
sudden load changes, voltage fl uctuations,
or process surges. When this happens, the
rotor can momentarily accelerate or decel-
erate. Instead of settling immediately into a
new position, the rotor may overshoot and
begin oscillating around the synchronous
point.
One common cause is insuffi cient damp-
ing. Most synchronous motors include
damper
windings
(amortisseur
bars)
embedded in the rotor pole faces. These
bars act much like a squirrel cage, provid-
ing damping torque that helps stabilize the
rotor during disturbances. Broken damper
bars or cracked end rings can reduce this
stabilizing eff ect. Another contributor is
improper fi eld excitation. If the motor is
operating too far into an under-excited
or over-excited region, the synchronizing
torque decreases and the motor becomes
more prone to oscillation. The relationship
between fi eld current and stator current is
shown by the familiar synchronous motor
V-curve, described in NEMA MG 1.
Hunting can also be triggered by cyclic
mechanical loads. These include recipro-
cating compressors or fl uctuating process
equipment. Each torque pulse disturbs
the rotor position and can start the oscil-
lation cycle. Synchronous motor hunting
usually points to one of three things: weak
damping, improper excitation, or unstable
mechanical loading can compromise stable
operation.
Checking damper windings, adjusting
fi eld current toward the stable region of
the V-curve, and verifying that the driven
equipment isn’t introducing torque pulsa-
tions will usually bring the motor back to
smooth operation. — Chase Fell
EA
LASER CLADDING
Repair of Electric Motor
Shafts & Keyways
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ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026 5
Manufacturers embrace a shift to agentic AI
Most of us have become familiar with generative artificial intelligence. In
industrial manufacturing, the technology has been used mainly for design
augmentation, procurement optimization, customer service, and quality
assurance. Generative AI is routinely used as an industrial copilot — drafting
work orders, synthesizing repair manuals, and automating decision-making
on the shop floor.
Now we’re beginning to hear about agentic artificial intelligence and, more
specifically, agentic manufacturing. The difference between generative and
agentic AI is that generative AI creates content, while agentic AI acts autono-
mously. “Agentic AI” may have first emerged as a buzzword in March 2023
on GitHub, but by the spring of 2025, “agentic manufacturing” had gained
currency among manufacturing engineers.
“Agentic AI is an artificial intelligence model that can operate independently
without requiring human user input for commands,” explains information
technology firm Insight Enterprises. “Unlike early machine learning AI mod-
els, like a pre-programmed chatbot, agentic AI agents can ‘think’ critically
and perform complex, automated tasks within your organization.”
No longer merely a topic of conversation, agentic AI is finding practical
application in the design and manufacturing of real-world products. Several
manufacturers familiar to Electrical Apparatus readers have been talking
about how they’re deploying it this year.
Schneider Electric has embedded agentic AI in its energy and sustain-
ability management software, building on capabilities already present in
its Resource Advisor Copilot platform. The company uses a family of agents
under the acronym TACO — which has nothing to do with anyone chickening
out. It stands for taskers, automators, collaborators, and orchestrators. Each
serves a distinct function, from executing simple tasks to coordinating entire
workflows.
One application is the Emissions Measurement Data Transformation Agent,
which converts unstructured client data into formats usable by Schneider
Electric’s carbon calculator. “What used to take hours or days is now done in
minutes,” says Dusty Wheatley, manager of data science at Schneider Elec-
tric. The company recently launched a platform described as a “workspace
of action” that connects, validates, and acts on energy and sustainability data
across an enterprise rather than merely displaying it on a dashboard.
Siemens made a notable statement about agentic AI at CES 2026 in Las
Vegas in January, drawing attention from those who design and manufacture
electrical and electronic systems. As CEO Roland Busch declared, “Industrial
AI is no longer a feature; it’s a force that will reshape the next century.”
Central to Siemens’ announcement was its Digital Twin Composer software,
scheduled for release soon. The platform combines digital twin technology
with NVIDIA Omniverse simulation libraries and real-time engineering
data. PepsiCo is already using an early version to build high-fidelity 3D digi-
tal twins of its U.S. manufacturing and warehouse facilities, achieving a 20%
increase in throughput, nearly 100% design validation,
and capital expenditure reductions of 10% to 15%.
Finally, ABB announced in April an update to My Mea-
surement Assistant+, its industrial device maintenance
platform. The update integrates ABB’s Genix Copilot —
developed by ABB along with Microsoft — with agentic
capabilities designed to shift maintenance from reac-
tive troubleshooting to prescriptive action. Technicians
scan a QR code to access health data, service history, and
diagnostics, then query the Copilot for repair guidance,
parts ordering, or remote support scheduling, without
installing any software.
My Measurement Assistant+ supports seven languages
and connects with ABB’s Genix Datalyzer fleet moni-
toring platform, adding a cybersecurity dashboard for
assets and transmitted data. “Customers see faster issue
resolution, less downtime, and greater asset reliability,
turning industrial data into practical guidance for criti-
cal operations,” said Dayan Rodriguez, corporate vice
president of manufacturing and mobility at Microsoft.
What we’re seeing among these three companies — and
are certain to see among many others — is a shift from
systems that merely inform to systems that act. Genera-
tive AI told engineers what was happening; agentic AI is
beginning to do something about it. — Kevin Jones
EA
Business
“Industrial AI is no longer a feature; it’s a force that will re-
shape the next century,” declared Roland Busch, president
and CEO of Siemens AG, during CES 2026 in Las Vegas in
January.
— Siemens photo
6 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
VFD-Induced Shaft Voltage
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Electrical bearing damage causes unplanned downtime
Variable frequency drives (VFDs) are used to control pumping systems. But VFDs create a motor shaft voltage
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An agency report heralds a new ‘Age of Electricity’
The International Energy Agency is calling ours the Age of Electricity, and
the numbers behind the declaration suggest there may be something to the
claim.
A recently released report from the IEA, titled “Electricity 2026,” predicts
that global electricity demand will grow at an average annual rate of 3.6%
through 2030, a pace 50% higher than the previous decade’s average and
fast enough to outstrip overall energy demand by a factor of at least 2.5.
These numbers may be less striking than the structural shift behind them.
In 2024, for the fi rst time in three decades and excluding crisis-related dis-
ruptions, global electricity demand outpaced economic growth. Through
2030, electricity use is projected to grow faster than the overall economy.
“Electricity consumption is now projected to grow at least 2.5 times faster
than overall energy demand,” the report states, “hastening the world’s
transition to an electricity-based economy” — music to the ears, perhaps, of
those who keep electric power systems running.
Helping to drive this growth are emerging economies,
which are expected to account for nearly 80% of addi-
tional global electricity use through 2030, with China
alone contributing close to half of the increase. Over
the next fi ve years, China is expected to add demand
roughly equivalent to the entire current electricity use
of the nations of the European Union.
A more signifi cant shift for electric utilities in
advanced economies may be the reversal in their
own markets. After 15 years of stagnation, electricity
demand in those economies is growing again, largely
because of the expansion of artifi cial intelligence, data
centers, and advanced manufacturing.
In the U.S., electricity demand rose 2.1% in 2025 and
is projected to grow by nearly 2% per year through 2030,
with data centers expected to account for roughly half
of that incremental demand. (See this month’s “Utili-
ties,” page 18, for more on the electricity demand of
data centers.) Industrial reshoring, space cooling, heat
pumps, and electric vehicles will make up much of the
rest.
On the supply side, renewables and nuclear together
are on track to account for one-half of global electricity
generation by 2030. Solar photovoltaic output alone is
forecast to grow by more than 600 terawatt-hours per
year, with overall renewable generation rising at about
8% annually. Nuclear generation reached a new record
in 2025 and is expected to continue its upward trajec-
tory through the end of the decade.
Coal, according to the IEA report, will remain the
single largest fuel source for power generation in 2030,
despite its expected long-term decline. Regional coal
trends diverged sharply in 2025; coal use fell in China
and India due to strong renewable growth but rose in
the U.S. as higher natural gas prices and a slowdown
in plant retirements kept coal-fi red output competitive.
The report predicts that coal generation will return to
near its 2021 level by 2030.
Gas-fi red generation is forecast to grow at 2.6%
per year through 2030 — signifi cantly above its 1.4%
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8 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
fi ve-year average — mainly as a consequence of rising U.S. electricity
demand and fuel-switching in the Middle East from oil to gas.
Grid infrastructure is what the report’s authors are most concerned
about. More than 2,500 GW of projects — renewables, storage, and large
loads such as data centers — are stalled in connection queues worldwide.
Grid investment has lagged well behind investment in generation capacity.
Annual grid investment would need to increase by roughly 50% by 2030
from today’s $400 billion level.
The report identifi es several ways we could expand grid capacity without
waiting for new construction. Grid-enhancing technologies combined with
non-fi rm connection agreements could unlock between 1,200 and 1,600
GW of capacity for advanced-stage projects stuck in queues. Non-fi rm agree-
ments alone could enable 750 to 900 GW, allowing for faster grid access,
with some output limitations. Technologies such as dynamic line rating and
advanced power-fl ow control could free up another 450 to 700 GW.
“The Age of Electricity requires a fast and effi cient expansion of grids and
system fl exibility to securely and cost-eff ectively integrate a changing mix
of generation, demand and storage,” the report declares.
Utility-scale battery storage is growing rapidly and is playing an increas-
ing role in short-term fl exibility, particularly in markets with high solar
and wind shares such as California, Germany, South
Australia, Texas, and the U.K. Battery costs continue to
fall, but market barriers and integration challenges still
limit their full potential.
Then there are the security concerns. “Recent
large-scale power outages worldwide underscore the
importance of electricity security for modern econo-
mies and societies,” the report states. Recent examples
include blackouts in Chile, the Iberian Peninsula, and
Mexico in 2025, as well as incidents involving the Est-
Link-2 cable between Finland and Estonia, a substation
fi re at Heathrow, and an arson attack in Berlin.
Finally, there’s the “aff ordability” problem about
which we’ve heard so much of late and is as much a
political as an economic problem. Household electric-
ity prices in many countries have risen faster than
incomes since 2019, and price gaps across regions are
creating competitive pressure for energy-intensive
industries — a dynamic that’s likely to complicate plan-
ning well into the coming decade. — Kevin Jones
EA
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026 9
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WHEN YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
WHEN YOU KNOW THE DIFFERENCE!
TM
TM
Keeping the shock out
of electrostatic discharge
Electrostatic Discharge Association
Founded: 1982
Headquarters: 218 W. Court St., Rome, N.Y. 13440-2069
Annual Dues: Varies
Website: www.esda.org
We’re all familiar with what can happen when we walk
across a carpeted floor and grab a doorknob. Often we’ll
feel that familiar zap of electricity as we touch the metal
surface, reminding us of the phenomenon of the transfer
of static electricity. Those who work daily with electricity
recognize this as electrostatic discharge. To the layper-
son, this may sound like a fancy way of explaining an
everyday occurrence, but controlling this common
transfer of energy has been a topic of much discussion
since as early as the 1400s.
This occurrence is the core focus of the Electrostatic
Discharge Association, which works to set global stan-
dards for static control. “Munitions and explosives,
petrochemical, pharmaceutical, agriculture, printing
and graphic arts, textiles, painting, and plastics are just
some of the industries where control of static electricity
has significant importance,” the organization says.
Since 1982, ESDA has been “dedicated to advancing
the understanding of EOS and the theory and practice
of electrostatic discharge (ESD) avoidance,” according to
the association. For the last 44 years, the organization
has developed standards to prevent and control the transmission of elec-
trostatic discharge, which can pose a threat to safety in some applications.
From the organization’s first standard that addressed safety wrist straps
(which ground one’s body to prevent electrostatic discharge damage) to
more than 70 documents addressing ESD in electronics today, the organiza-
tion has a strong lineage of developing the industry’s foremost standards.
More than 15,000 volunteers and members from more than 55 countries
work together to develop he standards that assist companies in strengthen-
ing their ESD control programs.
Know Your Industry
Please turn to page 12
The Electrostatic Discharge Association develops global standards, provides ed-
ucation, and hosts events to help industries prevent and control the transmission
of static electricity.
— RF studio / Pexels photo
10 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
Individual membership with ESDA is available for one calendar year and
includes opportunities to participate in local chapters, purchase standards
and publications at discounted rates, and have a hand in the development of
industry standards. Members “actively network with other EOS/ESD profes-
sionals, as well as gain access to the Members’ Only Section of the EOS/ESD
Association, Inc., website, where they can download the Symposium pro-
ceedings, published technical reports, and access the membership roster,”
according to ESDA. Engineers, educators, researchers, electronics manufac-
turers, consultants, and universities make up just a small portion of the wide
scope of member demographics.
Corporate partnerships are available for companies interested in utiliz-
ing ESDA’s full scope of standards and resources on an organizational level.
Partnerships are available at three levels, including strategic, core, and
engagement; each varies in dues.
The association is home to eight committees that span topics and scope.
“Our committees are devoted to creating a global focus on the control and
mitigation of electrical overstress and electrostatics through certifi cation,
standards, education, and events,” according to the organization. “Composed
of EOS/ESD experts from around the world, our committees are constantly
creating opportunities to engage, recognize, develop, and advance the
theory and practice of electrostatic discharge avoidance.” These commit-
tees develop industry standards, technical papers, and expand electrostatic
awareness for the organization. Committees include advanced topics, stan-
dards, symposium steering, advisory on global growth, academia, awards,
volunteer development and initiatives, and education.
Conversely, ESDA’s associated groups off er opportunities to spread aware-
ness of new technologies. “Meetings and events provide a continuous
exchange of information and provide both educational and networking
opportunities on a regular basis,” according to the organization. “Partici-
pating in an associated group provides opportunities to discuss common
problems with others who have similar experiences.”
ESDA also has a special focus on educating young
people interested in STEM fi elds about electrostatic dis-
charge’s importance. The organization is a partner with
the Innovare Advancement Center of Griffi ss Institute of
Rome, N.Y., as well as other local corporations, to priori-
tize youth education and expand public understanding
of ESDA’s work. Educational resources, including online
courses, monthly “Tech Talks,” and certifi cation oppor-
tunities, are available on the association’s site as well.
The organization’s publication, Threshold, is a bi-
monthly magazine that includes annual reports, industry
news, business expertise, event recaps, and more. The
magazine’s issues are available on ESDA’s website in an
archive that off ers issues dating back to 2000.
ESDA hosts events year-round, including the upcom-
ing 48th Annual EOS/ESD Symposium & Exhibits, which
will take place Sept. 26-Oct. 1 in Frisco, Tex. Recurring
association meetings take place intermittently through-
out the year, as well as this year’s Standards Technical
Summit. These events bring together industry leaders
and standards developers to ensure that the ESD-related
standards of tomorrow are strong enough to meet the
ever-evolving technological landscape.
For over 40 years, the Electrostatic Discharge Asso-
ciation has worked to develop standards that ensure
electrostatic discharge is kept under control across
industries and applications. Whether it be the light zap
from touching a door handle or uncontrolled combus-
tion, ESDA helps take the shock (quite literally) out of
electrostatic discharge. — Avery Heeringa
EA
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KNOW YOUR INDUSTRY continued from page 10
12 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
Update your calendar with these upcoming
trade shows, conferences, and other events.
Do you know of an event that you think we
should bring to the attention of Electrical
Apparatus readers? E-mail us about it at
editor@barks.com.
• June 1-4, 2026 — Cleanpower 2026,
George R. Brown Convention Center,
Houston, Tex. The American Clean Power
Association, https://cleanpower.org/expo.
• June 9-11, 2026 — Fabtech Can-
ada, Toronto Congress Centre, Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. Fabtech Event Partners,
https://canada.fabtechexpo.com.
• June 10-11, 2026 — Coiltech North
America 2026, Vibe Credit Union Show-
place, Novi, Mich. QUiCKFairs, www.
coiltech.us.
• June 13-16, 2026 — EASA Solutions
Expo, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Fla.
Electrical Apparatus Service Association,
https://easa.com/convention.
• June 15-17, 2026 — Safety 2026
Conference and Expo, Anaheim Conven-
tion Center, Anaheim, Calif. American
Society of Safety Professionals, https://bit.
ly/3MQtEcv.
• June 15-19, 2026 — Turbo Expo
2026: Turbomachinery Technical Confer-
ence & Exposition, Allianz MiCo, Milan,
Italy. American Society of Mechanical Engi-
neers, https://event.asme.org/Turbo-Expo.
• June 27-July 1, 2026 — 2026 ASHRAE
Annual Conference, JW Marriott and
Marriott Downtown Austin, Austin, Tex.
American Society of Heating, Refrigerat-
Calendar
Please turn to page 16
ing, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, www.
ashrae.org/conferences/2026-annual-con
ference-austin.
• July 30-31, 2026 — 2026 ANSI Inno-
vation Summit, Grand Hyatt Denver,
Cleanpower 2026, being held June 1-6 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston,
is expected to bring together some 8,000 policy makers, experts, and corporate leaders to talk
and learn about wind, solar, storage, and transmission. Shown here is a scene from last year’s
Cleanpower, which was held in Phoenix.
— American Clean Power video still
14 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
+1 720 491 3580
info@electrominst.com
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Denver, Colo. American National Stan-
dards
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https://www.ansi.org/
events/standards-events/ANSI-innovation-
summit/2026.
• September 10, 2026 — BPMA Golf
Day 2026, Belton Woods Hotel Spa & Golf
Resort, Lincolnshire, U.K. British Pump
Manufacturers
Association,
https://bit.
ly/4cDnANj.
• September 14-19, 2026 — Interna-
tional Manufacturing Technology Show,
McCormick Place, Chicago. Association
for Manufacturing Technology, www.imts.
com/index.cfm.
• September 16-18, 2026 — AEE
World Energy Conference & Expo, Orange
County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.
Association of Energy Engineers, https://
aeeworld.org.
• September 23-24, 2026 — Coiltech
Italia 2026, Pordenone Fiere, Pordenone,
Italy. QUiCKFairs, www.coiltech.it.
• September 24, 2026 — AEMT Con-
ference, Concorde Conference Centre,
Manchester, U.K. The Association of Elec-
trical and Mechanical Trades, https://www.
theaemt.com/ems-event-calendar/aemt-
conference.html.
• September 26-Oct. 1, 2026 —
48th Annual EOS/ESD Symposium and
Exhibits, Embassy Suites by Hilton Dal-
las Frisco Hotel & Convention Center,
Frisco. Electrostatic Discharge Association,
https://esda.events/48th-annual-eosesd-
symposium-and-exhibits.
• October 21-23, 2026 — Fabtech USA,
Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas,
Nev. Fabricators & Manufacturers Associa-
tion International, Society of Manufacturing
Engineers, American Welding Society, Pre-
cision Metalforming Association, and
Chemical Coaters Association Interna-
tional, https://bit.ly/4bg7jhW.
• November 10-12, 2026 — 2026
NEMA Annual Meeting, Vinoy Resort &
Golf Club, St. Petersburg, Fla. National
Electrical
Manufacturers
Association,
www.makeitelectric.org/meetings-events.
• November 16-20, 2026 — 90th IEC
General Meeting, Congress Center Ham-
burg, Hamburg, Germany. International
Electrotechnical Commission, http://bit.
ly/4plWDlS.
• November 18-20, 2026 — World
Workplace, Anaheim Convention Cen-
ter, Anaheim, Calif. International Facility
Management Association, https://world-
workplace.ifma.org.
• January 25-27, 2027 — AHR Expo
2027, McCormick Place, Chicago. Inter-
U.S. Source for AC & DC Motor Components
Supplier of DC Commutators, Slip Ring Assemblies,
AC Rotors, and Copper & Brass Extrusions
> DC Commutators
• Largest drawing/specification database of various OEM’s
• Reverse Engineering capabilities
• True (OEM & Government approved) spin-seasoning capabilities
• New & Refilled. Various types. Up to 12 feet riser diameter
> Low, Medium and High Voltage Slip Ring Assemblies and components
> AC Rotors and rotor components
• Bars and Rings - Copper and Brass Alloys
> Copper and Brass Extrusions, Forgings, and Castings
• Amortisseur Bars, Coils, Blowout Coils, Commutator Bars, Cu Contacts
www.elecmat.com (800)356-2211 sales@elecmat.com
RIGHT THE FIRST TIME ON TIME EVERY TIME
national Exposition Co., www.ahrexpo.
com.
• February 14-18, 2027 — Hydraulic
Institute 2027 Annual Conference, JW
Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa,
Tucson, Ariz. The Hydraulic Institute, www.
pumps.org/event/2027-annual-conference.
• March 8-12, 2027 — PowerTest 27,
Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Fla. Inter-
National Electrical Testing Association,
https://bit.ly/4mMdKNZ.
• March 10-12, 2027 — ACCA 2027,
Gaylord National Resort & Convention
Center, National Harbor, Md. Air Con-
ditioning Contractors of America, www.
accaconference.com.
• June 12-15, 2027 — Electrical Appa-
ratus Service Association Solutions Expo,
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center & Hil-
ton Riverside, New Orleans, La. Electrical
Apparatus Service Association, https://easa.
com/convention/future-easa-conventions.
• June 24-27, 2028 — Electrical Appa-
ratus
Service
Association
Solutions
Expo, Pennsylvania Convention Center &
Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, Phila-
delphia, Pa. Electrical Apparatus Service
Association, https://easa.com/convention/
future-easa-conventions. — Edited by Kevin
Jones
EA
CALENDAR continued from page 14
16 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
White paper foresees data centers’
growing demand for electric power
There seems to be no ignoring data centers these days.
They’re all over the news, and several recent articles in
Electrical Apparatus have touched on their seemingly
unquenchable thirst for electric power.
Now a recently released white paper from the Electric
Power Research Institute is projecting that data centers
will use between 9% and 17% of all U.S. electricity by
2030, up from roughly 4% to 5% today. This surge in
demand is expected to stress generation capacity, push
the limits of transmission infrastructure, and compli-
cate integrated resource planning across the U.S.
The February 2026 white paper, titled “Powering
Intelligence: Updated Scenarios of U.S. Data Center
Electricity Use and Power Strategies,” lays out three
scenarios — Low, Medium, and High growth — based on
state-level data tracking data centers that are opera-
tional, under construction, or in various stages of
planning. The Low scenario assumes that most projects
currently under construction and one-fourth of those
in advanced planning will be fully operational by 2030.
The High scenario assumes that all projects under con-
struction or in advanced planning — plus 30% of those
in early planning — will overcome supply chain and
regulatory hurdles in time to come online by 2030.
Consider the projected rate of increase in energy use.
In 2024, total U.S. data center electricity use was esti-
mated at 177 to 192 terawatt-hours, according to the
white paper. By 2030, EPRI projects that fi gure will rise to roughly 380 to
790 terawatt-hours — an increase of between two and four times current
levels. This projected range is about 60% higher than EPRI’s own estimates
published just two years ago. The primary driver has been the much-
remarked-upon surge in data center development over the past two years.
Looming large behind this acceleration are artifi cial intelligence work-
loads. AI applications are far more energy-intensive than traditional data
center tasks such as streaming video, search queries, and communication
Utilities
Please turn to page 20
An aerial view of an industrial infrastructure development in New Albany, Ohio,
that includes data centers, power supply, and a logistics hub. While Virginia has
traditionally been home to the most data centers, a number of other states, includ-
ing several in the Midwest, are now proving attractive to data center developers.
— SNEHIT / Shutterstock photo
18 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
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Mission-critical, ultra-high efficiency
motors for data center cooling infrastructure
services. While AI workloads currently account for an esti-
mated 15% to 25% of data center electricity use, that share is
rising rapidly.
“Data center usage was once limited by human attention —
how many movies a person can watch at one time or how many
queries they can type,” the white paper notes. “Advances such
as deep research and agentic AI mean that usage is increasingly
driven by hundreds or thousands of AI-generated requests that
require only occasional human oversight.”
The geographic distribution of this new demand is uneven
and, in some service territories, extreme. Information-hungry
Virginia already sees data centers accounting for more than
25% of its total electricity use. By 2030, that share could climb
to 39% to 57%. In the Medium growth scenario, seven additional
states — Oregon, Iowa, Nebraska, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona,
and Indiana — could join Virginia in having data centers account
for more than 20% of their electricity use.
Meanwhile, states such as Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Ohio, and Pennsylvania are emerging as new data center
hotspots. These states are appealing to data center developers
thanks to the availability of land and access to electric power.
How utilities and policymakers respond to this surge will
depend on the policy environment, the EPRI white paper says.
Under current federal and state policies, the white paper finds,
natural gas is likely to dominate new generation capacity addi-
tions. Projected annual natural gas capacity builds from 2025
to 2030 range from 6.6 to 13.7 GW per year — well above the
recent five-year average of 5.7 GW per year. This represents
a significant departure from EPRI’s 2024 analysis, which had
projected far more wind and solar development. But that was
before changes to federal tax credits under the 2025 budget bill
curtailed incentives for many renewable technologies.
The picture changes considerably if data centers commit
to 24/7 “carbon-free” energy targets. Under that scenario,
investment would shift toward wind, solar, nuclear, and bat-
tery storage. (Nuclear and energy storage remain eligible for
investment tax credits under current law, which improves their
competitive position in carbon-constrained portfolios.)
The white paper is candid about the likelihood of planned
projects becoming reality. Supply chains for IT equipment and
power infrastructure are already strained. Permitting and siting
processes are slow. Skilled labor is scarce. A typical new data
center of 100 MW to 1,000 MW places a load on the grid equiv-
alent to a new residential neighborhood of 80,000 to 800,000
average homes — but one that can be developed and connected
in a fraction of the time required to build out the supporting
grid infrastructure. “With grid development times reaching
years to decades,” the white paper states, “rapid advances are
needed to guide efficient investments.”
The white paper also cautions against treating announced
project capacity as a reliable indicator of near-term electricity
demand. Because new facilities ramp up gradually — with only
20% of capacity active in the first year of operation — realized
peak demand is consistently and meaningfully below the nomi-
nal or nameplate figures that developers announce publicly.
“Announced nominal MW for data center projects should be
treated as a pipeline indicator rather than a near-term peak
forecast as non-IT loads, ramp-up, load shapes, on-site energy
assets, and load flexibility materially impact peak effects,” the
white paper states.
For resource planners and regulators, the practical implica-
tion of all of this is that conventional forecasting methods are
apparently no longer adequate to the task. — Kevin Jones
EA
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UTILITIES continued from page 18
20 ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | JUNE 2026
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