Commentary

May 27, 2022

3-WIRE OR 4-WIRE?: Dryer and cooking unit circuits

In past code cycles, changes were made to branch circuits that serve dryers and cooking units. Some older rules effected dryer and range branch circuits, including air conditioning condensing units, where type SE cable with aluminum conductors was the preferred wiring method. All that can present challenges to electricians and service technicians that are unaware of the background of these circuit[...]

May 25, 2022

Total worker health: Mental and physical

As I sit here this morning drinking coffee and sore from last night’s boot camp class, (thanks to my fitness trainer!), I cannot help thinking about the relationship between physical health and mental health.

May 20, 2022

WIOA Reauthorization: We need it for worker training and talent pipeline pathways

The U.S. House of Representatives is considering reauthorizing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, landmark 2014 legislation designed to help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services.

May 17, 2022

Is the American dream dead? Millions priced out of homeownership

Between skyrocketing mortgage interest rates, record-high home prices, and a limited housing supply, millions are being priced out of the American Dream. For the first time, the majority of Americans do not believe that buying a house is a wise decision.

May 12, 2022

Editorial: The fight to reshape state government

Had enough? Apparently that’s the case over at the state Legislature where legislators are hanging up their elected careers and declining to run again.

May 6, 2022

CODE CORNER: Type NM Cable ‘ROMEX’

In this month’s column, I will try to reveal some key requirements that can be found in the National Electric Code when using type NM, Nonmetallic Sheathed cable as a wiring method.

May 5, 2022

OP-ED: Compensation for changes in the absence of a written change order

Most construction contracts contain a provision requiring a written change order as a condition precedent to payment for changed work.

May 5, 2022

Do you need a grad degree to compete right now? Probably not

Graduate degrees, once touted as the new bachelor's degrees, are becoming less essential to getting jobs.

Apr 28, 2022

Editorial: Keep boosting state’s rainy day fund

Politicians on both sides of the political aisle get positively giddy when there is an unexpected surge in tax collections that buoy Wisconsin coffers — like the one that is currently projected to give the state a $3.8 billion general fund balance at the end of fiscal 2023.

Apr 25, 2022

Meet the power plant of the future: Solar + battery hybrids are poised for explosive growth

America's electric power system is undergoing radical change as it transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. While the first decade of the 2000s saw huge growth in natural gas generation, and the 2010s were the decade of wind and solar, early signs suggest the innovation of the 2020s may be a boom in "hybrid" power plants.

Apr 21, 2022

Home sales trend not surprising, but worth watching

After a couple years of unbelievably high home sales in the region, it’s not a surprise in the least to see some areas of Wisconsin falling behind the prior year’s pace now. It’s simply impossible to sustain record and near-record rates for too long.

Apr 21, 2022

IT’S COMPLICATED: The changing regulation of ‘forever chemicals’ in Wisconsin

For the past several years, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has engaged in a multi-media effort to regulate the class of chemicals commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” in waters and soils in the state. These compounds, per- and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances, are also known as “PFAS”.