EA October 2026
International
- our current issue!
Subscribe! Go to ea-renew.com
Advertise! For advertising information, updates, special offers and more, sign up for the Publisher’s Market Memo e-list or message Barbara Wachter, Advertising Director.
IN THIS ISSUE ---
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | OCTOBER 2026
Electric Avenue
18 The next charge
As EV adoption evolves, reliability, affordability, and grid readiness will shape the industry’s next phase
By Maura Keller, EA Contributing Writer
EA Reader Profile
21 A troubleshooting frontiersman
How Paul Adams blazed a 50-year trail through electrical apparatus repair
By Colin Gregory-Moores, EA Contributing Writer
International Industry
29 Electricity worldwide
As the world becomes more electrified, materials and methods assume critical importance
By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor
Power Transmission & Distribution
33 Arc-resistance essentials
Safety features, installation requirements, and maintenance of arc-resistant medium-voltage switchgear
By David Bredhold, EA Contributing Editor
Finance & The Workplace
38 Is it profitable?
Using relevant cost data to make better strategic business decisions
By William H. Wiersema, CPA, EA Finance Editor
Plant Life
42 Good, better, BESS
The operation, benefits, and drawbacks of battery energy storage systems
By Bill O’Leary, EA Contributing Writer
Safety & Health
44 Warehouse safety updates
OSHA renews a program for comprehensive inspections
By Charlie Barks, EA Managing Editor
Pump It Up
45 Pump orders outpace deliveries
Financial reports reveal a trend that’s uneven but undeniable
By Kevin Jones, EA Senior Editor
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS | OCTOBER 2026
Departments
04 The editor's comment
A global view of electric power
05 Let's solve your problem
Answers to questions on megohm testing, grounding, and fuses
06 Associations
More than one way to run a trade association
10 Know your industry
AAEI’s more than a century of helping trade grow globally
12 Plant happenings
Plants close in Wisconsin and Utah, open in Illinois and Texas
14 Names & faces
Changes at Champion Electric Metals, and Electricity Canada
16 Business
Manufacturers blurring the line between hardware and software
17 Letters
More thoughts about AI in predictive maintenance
26 Standards
How the IEC builds international standards
27 Utilities
International approaches to resolving the utility dilemma
28 Calendar
Upcoming events on manufacturing, service, HVAC/R, and testing
40 Product showcase
What’s new in industrial engineering tools and components
46 Classified advertising
Your monthly marketplace for equipment, businesses, and more
46 Cy's Super Service
The electrical service industry’s most prominent curmudgeon
49 EA puzzle
A crossword puzzle based on EA’s August and September issues
51 Moe, Genny & friends
The surreal world of an anthropomorphized motor and generator
52 Direct & current
A donation for firefighters and a Peterbilt truck recall
52 Advertising index
Who’s who—and who’s where—in this issue of Electrical Apparatus