Welcome to IBEW 177

Brunell : Bringing Back Factories Not So Easy; We're Short on Skilled Labor, Electricity

https://dailyastorian.com/2026/01/26/bringing-back-factories-not-so-easy-were-short-on-skilled-labor-electricity/

America faces critical shortages of skilled electrical workers and electricity supply to support manufacturing reshoring and AI data centers. Morgan Stanley warns of a potential 20% power shortage by 2028 while Bureau of Labor Statistics projects nearly 80,000 electrician job openings over the next decade, with apprentice programs increasing 50% to address the gap.
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Electrical Worker Calls Data Center Quote Opportunity for Jobs and Investment As Council Rejects Proposal

https://www.chicagoconstructionnews.com/electrical-worker-calls-data-center-opportunity-for-jobs-and-investment-as-naperville-council-rejects-proposal/

Naperville Council voted 6-1 to reject a 36-megawatt data center despite IBEW's Anthony Giunti emphasizing construction would bring millions to the local economy and create long-term career opportunities. Labor leaders warned that rejecting the project removes years of high-paying skilled construction work from a vacant property.
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Grid Rules for Faster Data Centers Favor On-site Gas Plants

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-grid-rules-faster-data-centers-favor-on-site-gas-plants--reeii-2026-01-27/

FERC has directed PJM to create new rules facilitating co-location of data centers with power plants, potentially favoring on-site natural gas generation. The regulations aim to accelerate interconnection while addressing reliability concerns and avoiding lengthy grid connection delays that can stretch 5-7 years.
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Deep Freeze Tests Reliance on Natural Gas

https://www.eenews.net/articles/deep-freeze-tests-us-electricitys-reliance-on-natural-gas/

Winter storm conditions risk shuttering Appalachia gas wells and pipelines in bitter cold, potentially forcing more electricity outages in the East. PJM warned that pressure will mount across regional grids as the nation's largest grid operator exports power while managing unprecedented demand.
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Winter Storm Tests US Electric Grid, Outages Spread

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/25/winter-storm-electric-grid-overdrive-00745690

A massive winter storm brought power outages to over 780,000 customers across the South and East, with PJM Interconnection forecasting record peak demand of 147,000 MW. The deep freeze threatens to cripple natural gas infrastructure and test regional grids serving tens of millions of Americans.
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Microsoft Agrees to Pay For Higher Electricity Consumption Due to Data Centers

https://insidermonkey.com/blog/microsoft-corporation-agrees-to-pay-for-higher-electricity-consumption-due-to-data-centers-1679666/

Microsoft announced a "Community-First AI Infrastructure" policy ensuring communities won't bear the full cost of electricity consumption and grid expansion from its data centers, following Trump administration pressure. The company's commitment comes as IEA estimates US datacenter electricity demand could triple by 2035, from 200 to 640 terawatt-hours annually.
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