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

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

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

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.

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.