Articles from IBEW News

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Chinese Tech Giants Bet on Batteries As AI Fuels Power Demand Surge

Major Chinese technology companies including Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance are investing heavily in battery energy storage systems to meet surging power demands from AI data center operations. The shift toward battery backup and storage solutions addresses the massive electricity requirements of artificial intelligence computing while providing grid stability. This global trend in battery storage deployment for data centers creates expanding opportunities for electrical workers skilled in energy storage installation, power management systems, and backup power infrastructure throughout the technology sector. Source: ess-news.com

https://www.ess-news.com/2025/09/30/alibaba-tencent-and-bytedance-bet-on-batteri…

Who Will Win the Global Battle for the Future of Energy Storage?

Analysis of the intensifying global competition for dominance in energy storage technology, with implications for grid modernization, renewable energy integration, and industrial power systems. The energy storage race involves multiple competing technologies and international players vying for market leadership in batteries, hydrogen storage, and advanced grid solutions. For electrical workers, this competition drives innovation and investment in storage infrastructure that requires skilled installation and maintenance expertise, creating sustained employment opportunities in the rapidly evolving energy storage sector. Source: economies.com

https://www.economies.com/forex/news/who-will-win-the-global-battle-for-the-futu…

The Business End of the Case for Microgrids: How Multi-DER Systems Deliver Measurable Value

Examination of the business case for microgrids with multiple distributed energy resources, demonstrating how these systems deliver measurable economic and operational value through enhanced reliability and flexibility. Multi-DER microgrids combine solar, battery storage, generators, and advanced controls to provide resilient power while reducing costs and improving efficiency. The growing adoption of microgrid technology creates substantial demand for electrical workers with expertise in complex power systems, renewable integration, energy management systems, and the specialized electrical work required for distributed energy installations. Source: energytech.com

https://www.energytech.com/distributed-energy/article/55320252/the-business-end-…

World's First Ultra-Long Duration Hybrid Battery And Hydrogen Microgrid Launches

Energy Vault and Pacific Gas and Electric launched the world's first ultra-long duration hybrid microgrid combining battery storage and hydrogen fuel cell technology for extended backup power capability. The groundbreaking system represents a major advancement in energy storage, providing days or weeks of backup power rather than hours from conventional batteries. This innovative hybrid approach requires specialized electrical work for complex power management, hydrogen systems integration, and advanced control systems, creating new opportunities for electrical workers to develop expertise in cutting-edge energy storage technologies. Source: chemanalyst.com

https://www.chemanalyst.com/NewsAndDeals/NewsDetails/energy-vault-and-pg-e-launc…

Pres Cooper: The War on Wind Power (EW)

IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper warns that recent legislation eliminating tax incentives for wind, solar, and hydrogen projects will cancel many clean energy initiatives putting IBEW members to work while also increasing electricity bills for American families. Cooper calls the "One Big Beautiful Bill" irresponsible for its impact on working families and union jobs. Source: ibew.org

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/war-on-wind-power/?ref=ew

Sec-Treas Noble: Union Care (EW)

International Secretary-Treasurer Paul A. Noble highlights how the IBEW/NECA Family Medical Care Plan addresses rising healthcare costs that now consume 18% of the U.S. economy. The plan, designed by IBEW members for IBEW members, operates without bloated overhead or millionaire CEOs, covering over 190 locals and 450 employers with premiums below industry average while adding or improving benefits 135 times since inception. Source: ibew.org

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/union-care/?ref=ew

Convention Center Victory Means More Jobs for IBEW Members

IBEW Local 11 celebrates a major victory as the LA Convention Center expansion project moves forward after years of effort. The project will create dozens of immediate job calls ramping up to several hundred positions over the coming months, with completion targeted for the 2028 Olympics. Business Manager Robert Corona credits the powerful labor and business coalition for getting this project across the finish line. Source: ibew11.org

https://ibew11.org/2025/09/convention-center-victory-means-more-jobs-for-ibew-11…

Openness, Passion Helped This Member Evolve Into a Leader (EW)

Melissa Reyes of Charlotte Local 379 shares her unconventional journey from running away at 15 to becoming a respected organizing leader in North Carolina. The daughter of immigrants, Reyes led a major organizing effort at a Westinghouse nuclear fuel plant and now serves as an organizer for Local 379, using her energy, persistence, and commitment to justice to advocate for working families in one of the least union-friendly states. Source: ibew.org

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/openness-passion-helped-this-nc-member-evolve…

How to Help Electrical Workers Without Borders (EW)

Electrical Workers Without Borders North America (EWWBNA) is mobilizing IBEW volunteers for humanitarian electrical work, including the "Light Up Navajo" project bringing electricity to approximately 15,000 families living without grid connections on the Navajo Nation. The organization harnesses the skills and goodwill of electrical professionals by fielding volunteers on social-impact projects in disadvantaged communities, helping them adopt renewable energy systems and obtain training to maintain them. IBEW members from Local 3, 611, and other locals are volunteering their expertise under the direction of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority. Source: ibew.org

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/how-to-help-electrical-workers-without-border…

Inside the Jobs That Fuel the Data Center Construction Boom

Analysis of employment opportunities created by data center construction boom, with Maryland serving as a key example of job creation in the expanding industry. Research shows that data center construction creates one job for every 275 square feet built, with a typical 800,000 square foot facility supporting 5,000 direct and indirect jobs and generating $775 million in economic activity during construction. The boom creates substantial opportunities for electrical contractors, technicians, and IBEW members in specialized data center electrical work, power systems, and infrastructure development. Source: technical.ly

https://technical.ly/workforce/data-center-jobs-explainer-maryland/

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