Industry and IBEW News

CT Lawmakers Consider Plan to Let Public Make Own Power

https://www.ctpublic.org/news/2026-02-26/connecticut-plug-in-solar-proposal/

Connecticut lawmakers are considering legislation to legalize small portable plug-in solar panels that connect directly to standard household outlets, making solar accessible to renters and others who cannot install rooftop systems. A public hearing is scheduled for March 5, and if passed the law could take effect by October, putting Connecticut in line with more than 20 other states exploring similar measures.

Labor Disputes Surround Concierge Apt Repairs

https://www.fox61.com/article/news/local/hartford-county/connecticut-union-members-protest-labor-disputes-surround-concierge-apartments-repairs/520-106ce21d-5f0d-4904-aee4-32d3e6f7d4cd

Union members rallied in Rocky Hill alongside displaced residents of the condemned Concierge Apartments complex after the state issued stop work orders against seven contracting companies for labor violations including missing workers compensation coverage. The 554 unit complex has been in crisis since late January when burst pipes forced hundreds of tenants from their homes, with many still displaced as repair crews work to restore all buildings.

Pres Cooper: Growing Power Everywhere (EW)

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/growing-power-everywhere/?ref=ew

IBEW International President Kenneth Cooper writes in The Electrical Worker about the union's role in meeting surging electricity demand across the country, from data centers to clean energy buildout. Cooper argues that the boom in power infrastructure represents a generational opportunity for IBEW members and calls on locals to position themselves at the forefront of the expanding electrical grid.

A Labor-Friendly Energy Reform (EW)

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/illinois-passes-energy-reform/?ref=ew

The Electrical Worker examines Illinois' landmark energy reform legislation, which includes some of the strongest pro-worker provisions in the country for the energy industry. The law, backed by the IBEW and the state's building trades, ensures that the transition to clean energy in Illinois creates and protects union jobs, setting a model other states are beginning to follow.

Sec Treas Noble: A Choice for Every State (EW)

https://ibew.org/electrical_worker/a-choice-for-every-state/?ref=ew

IBEW International Secretary Treasurer Paul Noble writes in The Electrical Worker about the ongoing fight against right-to-work laws and the union's strategy for protecting worker organizing rights state by state. Noble draws on his experience helping secure the Workers' Rights Amendment in Illinois to make the case for why every state should give workers the full freedom to organize and bargain collectively.