Month: October 2026

Wire selection often overlooks conductor construction—solid or stranded—which affects installation, termination, fatigue life, and reliability. Solid wire uses a single core: rigid, easy to terminate, for fixed installation. Stranded wire uses multiple thin strands: flexible, vibration-resistant, for moving equipment and continuous flex. Neither is universally superior; wrong choice causes routing issues, breakage, or premature failure. […]

U.S. electricity demand is rising at its fastest four-year pace since 2000, driven largely by data centers. EIA forecasts 1.9% load growth in 2026 and 2.5% in 2027. LBNL estimates data centers could reach 11.8% of U.S. electricity use by 2030 (range: 9.5–15.3%). DOE projects an additional 100 GW of peak capacity by 2030, half […]

NM and NM-B cable look similar. Both are non-metallic sheathed cables used for dry indoor wiring. Many project teams treat them as interchangeable—until inspection reveals a problem. The difference is conductor insulation temperature: Type NM is rated 60°C, while Type NM-B is rated 90°C. This difference affects not only code compliance but also long-term reliability […]