The AI Data Center Gold Rush: Why Electricians Are Becoming America’s Most Valuable Workers

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Welcome to the Master of the NEC podcast, the ultimate
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destination for anyone passionate about the electrical trade. Whether you're
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a season electrician and eager apprentice, or just someone who
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wants to dive deep into the world of electrical work,
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You've come to the right place. Join your host, Paul Abernavi,
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a true authority in the industry with over thirty eight
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years of trade experience, as he electrifies your mind with
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in depth discussions, expertips, and valuable insights that will keep
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you ahead of the curve. Each episode, Paul will illuminate
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the complexities of the trade, decode the National Electrical Code,
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and share the latest industry trends, all while empowering you
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to take your electrical career to the next level. So
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hear up, plug in, and get ready to supercharge your
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knowledge because with the Master of the NEEC podcast, the
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power is in your hands.
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Now get ready. Here is your host, Paul Abernavi. Hey everybody,
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Paul Aberneth you here. Welcome to Master the NEC podcast,
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where I talk about all things electrical. It doesn't matter
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what the topic is, whether it's talking to National Electrical Code,
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electrical industry advancement, promotion, hiring, firing, whatever it is. If
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it's electrically related, I'm your guy. Thanks for joining. You
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can listen to any of our podcasts. We have over
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a thousand episodes available on all of your popular podcast
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whatever one you like. Podbean, just go search for Master
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the NEC podcast, and I'm sure if you just kind
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of scroll through the topics, you'll find something that you
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can enjoy. Whether you're on the road, you're on break,
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you're in the shower, whatever, float your boat, We've got
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an episode that probably will tickle your fancy. Now, let
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me start today's episode with a simple statement. Okay, very
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simple statement, because I'm hearing a lot of buzz out
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there about this topic and I want to make this statement.
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Artificial intelligence may be able to write an email, create
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an image, analyze a spreadsheet, and generate computer code the
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answer questions in seconds, right, But artificial intelligence cannot bend
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a piece of conduit. It cannot pull a five hundred
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kcmail conductor. It cannot terminate a medium voltage cable low
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voltage cable. It cannot torque a bus connection. It cannot
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install a transformer, test a grinding electrode system. It can't
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commission a generator, or troubleshoot a failed electrical distribution system
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at two o'clock in the morning. Every artificial intellig intelligence
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system in the world depends on one thing before it
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can accomplish anything. Electricity, not theoretical electricity, not electricity on
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a computer screen, real electricity, real conductors, real transformers, real switchgear,
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real overcurrent protection, real grounding and bonding techniques and understanding,
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real cooling equipment, real emergency power, and real electricians who
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know how to install it, maintain it, test it, troubleshoot it.
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All of those things. Ladies and gentlemen, We may be
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witnessing the beginning of the largest electrical construction boom of
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our lifetime. Welcome to the AI Data Center gold Rush, folks, Okay,
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welcome to that. Yeah yeah, Look, AI does not live
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in the clouds. People constantly talk about information being stored
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in the cloud. It sounds clean, light, and you know,
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pretty honest with you, it sounds magical, right, But the
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cloud is not floating above us. The cloud is sitting
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inside enormous buildings filled with servers, electrical equipment, cooling systems, batteries, generators, transformers,
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bus ways, switchboard switch gears, control systems, and miles upon
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miles of conductors. Every time someone asks an AI system
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a question, uploads a photograph, generates a videos, searches the database,
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stores company records, or processes a financial transaction. Physical equipment
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must perform that work of some sorts, whether it's a server,
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you have to have the power. That equipment consumes electricity,
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it produces heat, it requires cooling, it requires backup power,
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and it requires an electrical infrastructure capable of operating continuously. Now,
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according to the International Energy Agency, data centers consume approximately
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four hundred and fifteen terrawatt hours of electricity worldwide in
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twenty twenty four. The agency projects that consumption could be
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more than double that to accommodate nine hundred and forty
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five terawatts of power by twenty thirty. The United States
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Department of Energy reports that data centers could account for
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roughly eleven point eight percent of the total United States
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electricity consumption by the end of the decade, with projections
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ranging from nine point five percent to more than fifteen percent.
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Now think about that for a moment. One industry data
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centers could soon consume more than one tenth of all
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the electricity generated in the United States. That is a
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mere technological story in itself, but that's an electrical industry story.
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Follow the power. So today we're going to talk about
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that a little bit, dig into it a little deeper.
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I most of the time I see this on social media,
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people that are protesting the data centers and talk about
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that screwing up their water and everywhere. And you see
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people say, let's fight about it, let's protest it, let's
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go fight it. You're not going to win. Oh, you
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can get little victories here and there, you can slow progress,
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but you're not going to win because we are consuming
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data at an amazing rate. So you can sit there
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and cry about data centers the non electricians, Okay, anybody else.
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You can cry about data centers. But that phone that
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you're tapping away in your bank account, that's online. All
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of the conveniences that you see in your life today
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that you utilize on a daily basis come and need
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data centers to put that information in the cloud, to
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keep it interacting between the servers through a network. So
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you can cry about it, whinin about it bitch about it.
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It's not going away now, follow the power. A new
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data center cannot simply be dropped into the vacant piece
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of property and plugged into the nearest receptacle. Okay, we
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pretty much understand that. Is this not like a simple
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router that's installed in your house. Okay. Before the first
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server begins processing information, someone must determine where the electrical
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power will come from. Can the utility serve the load?
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Does the existing transmission system have sufficient capacity? Will new
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transmission lines be required? Does the utility need a new
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substation to handle this increased load? Will additional transformers be needed?
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What is the available fault current? What voltage will serve
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this facility? How will power be distributed throughout the building?
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What happens when the utility power fails? What happens when
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the transformer fails? What happens when the generator does not
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start properly? Wait a minute, What happens when the ups
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battery system develops a problem. What happens when the cooling
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system loses power? Hey, I think we're not worrying about
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nuclear meltdown because that's not what we're talking about. It's
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not a nuclear reactor. But think about all the infrastructure
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that run on these data centers, and the reason they're
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going in is not because they're just hollow buildings. They're
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going up because of the demand. People need it, business
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needed growth needs it, Capitalism needs it. So whether you
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like them or not, they're going into areas. You can't
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just simply put them all out in the middle of
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nowhere so it doesn't impact anything, because that also has
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dramatic impacts on getting the power from point A to
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point B and getting the data storage necessary to you.
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So if the jurisdictions approved data centers, it's not just oh,
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we're just doing it. And you can argue that there's
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political involvement and there's other things involvement or whatever. The
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local people are going to cry and moan, it doesn't matter.
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You're not gonna pease them. The tree huggers, I like
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to say, are gonna do that anyway. I am an
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innovative guy. I'm always moving forward. I believe in technology.
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If they put a data center across the street from me,
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I would not have a problem with it because I
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understand it. I can't change what's taking place, right, So
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you know what the server racks may receive the public attention. Right,
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that might be what everybody talks about. Oh the servers,
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ares so many servers to run that, But the data
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center lives and dies by the electrical infrastructure. A modern
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data center may require utility substations, medium voltage distribution transformers,
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switch gear, switchboards, panel boards, busways, generators, automatic transfer equipment,
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uninterruptible power supplies known as UPS systems, energy storage systems,
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grounding systems, lightning protection, monitoring equipment, fire pumps, cooling system equipment,
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and sophisticated control systems. That does not stop after the construction.
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These things continually need to be advanced, established, and maintained
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and upgraded in this facility as it grows. As technology
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is just rapidly changing. Now, these facilities need preventative maintenance okay,
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infrared scanning, breaker testing, battery testing, generator testing, power quality analysis,
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protective device coordination, selective coordination, ARC flash studies, equipment replacement
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on an ongoing basis, emergency services when needed, and continuous
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system monitoring. That means that opportunity for electrical contractors, utility workers, engineers, inspectors,
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testing companies, commissioning agents. We have the thermal electrician it's
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becoming a rapid thing where thermal imaging. Thermography is becoming
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a very intricate role at preventative maintenance and a lot
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of these data center applications. And of course we have
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the Thermal Electrician dot Com. We teach you what you
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need to know about thermal imaging. But it is a
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real need out there. That means that there's opportunity for everybody,
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not just the data centers and the people that develop them,
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but again the contractors, the workers, engineers, inspectors, maintenance electricians,
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apprentices and technical educators like me. Now here's the issue here,
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the electrician shortage meets the AI boom. So the Labor
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Bureau of Labor Statistics project employment for electricians to grow
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about nine percent between twenty twenty four and twenty thirty four,
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which is considerably faster than the projected average for all
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occupations in general. Well, it also projects approximately eighty one
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thousand electrician openings every year every year during that period.
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Now that doesn't mean you actually work in the data center.
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It means that you're part of the growth expansion and
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necessary infrastructure needs, whether it's ancillary to the data center,
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whether it's in manufacturing, producing the cables, producing the equipments.
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Which it's all relative, but it's a massive amount of
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electrician openings over these periods every year. These openings are
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not newly created position. Many will result from retirement, workers
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leaving the occupation. Many will be people coming in, other
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people cycling out of the profession. It's an ongoing moving target,
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but it is nonetheless openings that will need to get filled.
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But that is exactly what makes this moment so important
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in time, because demand is increasing while experience electricians are
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leaving the workforce, we're aging that experience is leaving. That's
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why it troubles me so much when I read social
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media and see misleading information, propagating lies, false information, posting
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things like it's gospel and it's not, and never backing
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it up with COVID. Because this generation, the new generation,
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the people that are learning now their twenties, their thirties
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or early forties, this is our future. And when we
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mislead them, we give them false information, and we don't
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validate things, or we take things as gospel when they
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may not be. That harms the industry. That harms the industry.
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But the demand is increasing because people are also leaving
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that workforce, and there's a big void that's happening in
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the education now. At the same time time the worker
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is becoming more technically demanding. They're needing to understand more
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technical aspects. The technologies are changing fault management systems. I mean,
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the knowledge that keeps pouring into the code is changing
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all the time, and the code is changing due to
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industry growth, trying to always trying to catch up. Now,
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the industry does not merely need more people capable of
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installing receptacles and lighting circuits. Okay, that's not what we're
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saying when it comes to data. When it comes to
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data centers and the industry as a whole, we need
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electricians who understand large electrical services. We need more that
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understand medium voltage systems, transformer knowledge, generator knowledge ups systems, now,
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energy storage systems, ESS systems, how to quit grounding and bonding,
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Understanding selective coordination, and understanding how to work with the
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manufacturer who will generally offer you. Selective coordination is part
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of equipment selection and understanding that that is available to you.
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Understanding available fault currents, power quality, arc flash hazards, Energy
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management systems as a whole. These are complex control systems
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that rapidly electricians are specializing in. The Electrician of the
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future will still need strong hands on skills, though, but
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the electrician of the future must also be the electrical
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problem solver. Okay, now, the new electrical gold rush gold
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rush that we're going to be experiencing and we have
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been experiencing, is during the original gold rush, thousands of
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people traveled west searching for gold. You've seen this, you
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watched it on TV. Gold Rush. You know, everybody loves it,
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gets that gold fever. But back during the gold rush,
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thousands of people traveled out west searching for that that
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chance to strike it rich. So some did strike it rich,
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but many found nothing. But the people selling tools supplies
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to the little towns that were developed around that area
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where this gold rush was happening. The trans inxpretation, the food,
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the equipment often built successful businesses regardless of whether or
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not people discovered gold or not. You could have gone
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west and this didn't find gold, but you realized that
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you could offer a build a saloon, or you could
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do something else that was actually directly related to this
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goal rush and make a fortune. So you know, the
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same principles applied to artificial intelligence. We do not know
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which AI company will ultimately dominate. Everybody seems to think
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it's going to be you know, it might be Okay,
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it's gonna be Elon in Tesla, but then there's you know, Google.
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You don't know because it's constantly changing. We do not
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know which computer platform will become the standard. Because you
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have Mac, you have PC, you have all this other stuff.
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You have all these different operating systems. You just don't know.
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We do not know which data center developer will build
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the most successful facilities, because they're constantly building larger and
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outdoing each other. We don't know any of that stuff.
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But look, we know all of them need what They
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all need electricity. Yeah, they need electrical infrastructure before they
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can produce a single dollar of revenue as a data center.
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They need that electrical infrastructure that places electricians at the peak,
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at the extraordinary position APEX. You do not have to
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invent an artificial intelligence model. You do not have to
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become a software engineer. You do not have to understand
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every line of computer code running into a server, but
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you need to understand the electrical system that keeps those
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servers operating. Look, folks, the gold may be the artificial intelligence,
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but electricians are building the mind to which it's located.
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Where's the opportunity? Where will it be? Okay, let's think
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about this now. The opportunity is created by data center
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development will spread far beyond the data center property itself. First,
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let's talk utilities. The utilities will need to expand generation,
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transmission and distribution capacity. Whether you like it or not,
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whether you want to protest expansion of utilities. You could
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do what you want, but it means absolutely nothing because
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you're not going to change the progress. You know, I
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get it. People say, well, I want to protest it, Well,
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you just keep doing that. Just don't get in front
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of my car because you know what I got regentative breaking.
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I don't hit the brakes. Okay, So you do whatever
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you want to do. But the utilities will need to
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expand that generation, transmission and distribution to handle this capacity.
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That means it's substations, transformers, conductors, protection systems, control equipment,
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and utility construction is going to boom. Secondly, manufacturers will
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need to produce more of those transformers, those switch hear,
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those busways, more cable, more generators, more batteries, tons of enclosures, raceways,
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and other electrical distribution equipment to accommodate that demand and
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that growth. Third, we need the contractors to install the equipment.
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There is no AI is going to install the equipment.
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You can talk about the nifty little robots, but those
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little robots can't do what you folks do. They can't
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bring condo it like you do. They can't take it
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once they bend it, over it install it. You can
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train a robot to bend it, but you can't train
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them to install it and follow drawings. Fourth, qualified people
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will be needed to inspect, to test, to commission, to
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maintain and repair those systems that will age over time. Fifth,
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communities surrounding these projects will experience additional construction to help
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facilitate the infrastructure face it. The workers need housing, businesses
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need commercial space, roads and utilities may need to be improved.
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That all brings money to your local infrastructure. Manufacturing facilities
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may expand to support the supply chain, which growth and
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adds jobs to that community that the manufacturing facilities are located.
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Every level of development creates additional electrical work in some
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form or fashion. This is why electricians should stop looking
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at artificial intelligence only as something happening in the technological industry.
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AI is creating a massive physical infrastructure industry. The electrical
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workers are standing directly in the middle of that. Now,
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not every electrician will automatically benefit. So here's the warning.
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Simply possessing an electrical license does not automatically qualify people
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to work on the most advanced projects. Okay news shock
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right newsflash. Data center contractors not looking only for people
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who can install the wire. They need electricians who can
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understand drawings, specifications on line diagrams, equipment ratings, system operation
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testing procedures, safety requirements, and applicable codes. Whether it's local,
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geor station or national, they need to understand this. So
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this is why we train people like CMCPS where we
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take a master electrician because I learned over almost a
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decade ago that an electrician can get a job pulling cable,
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installing conductors, doing residential commercial things like that. But the
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smarter electrician learns the codes. And when it learns the codes,
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it opens up that part of the brain that allows
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you to do reasoning and understanding and interpretation, and it
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broadens your horizon as an electrician. You're working both sides
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of the brain, not just the physical and what do
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you want me to do? You want to pull from
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A to B, but you also learn why you do it.
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That's why I started this the MBCP program nearly a
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decade ago, and it's a very elite group. Not everybody
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gets in and not everybody makes it. Why because I
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saw a decade ago where in order to stand out
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amongst electricians. Because you know what, getting a master's license
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is really just a gateway into the industry. You really
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haven't learned what you're gonna learn by putting your hands
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on it. When you just enter in. It's just a gateway.
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Licensure is a gateway, makes you responsible. Once you get
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in is where the learning begins. So we'll help you
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get that license as the fast Tracks program will help
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you pass that entry level testing. But once you're there,
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that's where the CMACP pats you to the next level
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because it opens up that understanding of interpretation and using
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code as the foundation for that. But that doesn't mean
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you stop learning. That doesn't mean you stop understanding drawings.
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You don't start understanding specifications one line diagrams, learning about
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the different pieces of equipment that you're gonna be working
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with on a day in and day out basis, whether
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it's the energy storage systems or or UPS systems. Learning
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about it. That's what's going to make electricians stand out
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in this gold rush. Okay, they need people. They don't
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just need residential electricians and just basic commercial They need
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people that understand the difference between grounding and bonding. They
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need people who can identify the correct conductor apacities, not
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just be told to go to point A to point B.
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They need who understands adjustment and correction factors when it
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comes to the conductors, to make sure that the engineer
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who's designed it designed it properly because everybody makes mistakes,
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so they're in second set of eyes. That's the kind
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of electrician that we're trying to get to, and that's
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the kind of electrician that's going to make more money.
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That's the kind of electricians going to see opportunities for advancement.
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Those are the type of electricians that are going to say,
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you know what, I can open my own company. That's
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what we're looking for. That's the kind of people I
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like to train. If you just want to be a
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cable jockey, and that's all you want to do. That fine,
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as long as it pays your family and feed your
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your success. If you can work every day, pay your bills,
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come home and have a happy life, that's a success.
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But sometimes people want more. Okay, Look, these people, these
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data centers, these companies that are getting into this end
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that are going to be taking advantage of this AI boom.
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They need people who can interpret transformer requirements, motor requirements,
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feeder calculations, overcurrent protection, emergency systems, need to understand the
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basic core concepts of selective coordination and even available fault current. Look,
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the greatest opportunity will go to those electricians who combine
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field experience with the technical knowledge. That's why I always
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preach constantly learning something, never sit back and get complacent. Constantly,
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whether you pick one thing out of the code to
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focus on, whether maybe this week you're going to do
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four to fifty transformers, beat it to death and then
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move on to something else, maybe four thirty motors. Ask
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all the questions you can ken. That's why we created
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trade hog. That's why we created it so that you
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can ask it questions. And if you're not familiar with
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trade hog. It is my own AI tool that I
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created that uses a mixture of various AI models with
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are also trained prompting that kind of gives you technical
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responses without the fluff. And it's available on trade hug
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dot net and it is been an amazing success to
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help people out in the fields. Monthly subscription you cancel
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at any time. You can even do the annual if
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you want, so you don't have to pay monthly. That
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is something that really tries to keep you from making
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a mistake. It tries nothing's perfect, Okay, you're always going
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to be responsible for your actions, but it gives you
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the information and gives you the ability to resource and
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it wipes out all the fluff, the fluff that you
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may get from a chat GDP for example. Who doesn't
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kind of it's not focused on the topic. It kind
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of just goes all over the place. That's why we
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created trade hog. But we have to understand that that
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opportunity is going to go to those electricians. That means
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electrician who stops learning may watch this boom pass them
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directly by right over their head without them benefiting the growth.
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And this is the greatest growth that we have going
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right now in our industry, the electrician who continues studying
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could transform their entire career. Rather than waiting three decades
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to do that, you can literally transform your growth overnight.
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Now AI will not replace the electrician, but an electrician
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using AI may outperform one who refuses it. This brings
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us to the second side of artificial intelligence revolution. AI
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is generating unprecedented amounts of electrical work in the industry.
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I can tell you, as a wir and cable manufacturer,
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one of our main focuses, and we are the world's
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largest waring cable manufacturer at Prismium, I can tell you
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that a main focus is us in data centers. Even
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though we probably pound for pound produce more wiring cable
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than any company in the world. We are so centrically
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focused on data center because of this amazing growth that
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we wouldn't be in it. We wouldn't have Prismium investing
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in AI technology if we weren't in it because we
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understand it. And again all of that sounds great, but
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know what, it can't be powered by water. It needs electricity. Okay,
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And I know there's some little twit out there that's
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going to say, well, technically by water if it's steam
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and is it? Shut up? You know what I'm saying. God,
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I think I'm always surrounded by people who want to
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pound their chest on me, and I'm just trying to
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bring information to the industry. But they become haters. Get
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over it. You don't like what I say, don't listen.
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I'm not here to cater to you, all right. So
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AI is generating unprecedented amounts of electric work, but AI
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can also help electrician become faster and more effective technical researchers.
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Imagine that you're standing on a project and need to
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determine whether a conductor requires opacity adjustment. Think about this.
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You may need to identify the number of current car
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and conductors, the ambient temperature, the conductor's installation rating, the
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equipment termination limitations, and the applicable code edition. Perhaps you're
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reviewing a transformer installation and need help organizing the primary conductors,
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secondary conductors, and overcurrent protective requirements. Maybe you're even interacting
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with an inspector and he has issues and he issued
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you a correction and you want to understand the applicable
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NEC section before you respond to the inspector. How do
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you do all this. If you don't have this extra knowledge,
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perhaps you're dealing with the cable tray, emergency system, motors, generators,
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grounding a by aspect, maybe even hazardous location that's bridging
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into a non classified hazardous location area energy storage. Maybe
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it's an EVY charging equipment that's located out of facility.
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You should always verify the final answer using applicable code,
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the equipment listings, the manufacturers instructions and project specifications, and
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understanding any changes that may be applicable into the jury
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the authority having jurisdiction. But there is no reason the
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research process must always begin with a thirty minutes of
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flipping through the codebook and searching unrelated Internet pages that
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may mislead you to take you down a rabbit hole.
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This is kind of a segue. I do have to
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mention this was my key goal when I created trade HOK.
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So people say, there's other models out there, there's other tools.
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There's chat GDP, there's GROCK. All of those are designed
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to bring back various responses that you can't control the
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the intensity of the response, the narrowness of the response,
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so that it kind of tailored to what you need.
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This is why we created trade Hog. It was built
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for the trades. Our trade Hog if you've never heard
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of it before. I built this from the ground up
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00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:21.039
and it uses a proprietary mixture program that allows me
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to pull from various search models and then tailor it
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down specifically to the trades. So it's an AI powered
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technical assistant created specifically for construction. It is part of
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Electrical Code Academy family of products, and it was developed
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to provide trade focused and code focused assistance rather than
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some generic Internet response that you've got to weed through
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and again if you ask it a second way, it
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00:30:46.839 --> 00:30:50.759
gives you a different response that is very common. You
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00:30:50.759 --> 00:30:54.799
can ask trade hog a detailed electrical question using the
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actual facts from the installation. For example, I could say
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I have nine current caring twelve awgthh in conductors installed
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in EMT in a forty degree celsius ambient temperature. The
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equipment has seventy five degree terminations. What adjustment and correcting
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factors apply under the twenty twenty three NEC. Or you
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could say I have a seventy five kVA four hunder
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and eighty volt to two eight y one twenty volt transformer.
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Help me organize the primary conductors, primary overcur protections, secondary conductors,
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and secondary overcurme protecting requirements. Now think about this. You
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could be searching through the code because if you're going
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to transformers, you're going to four to fifty, and then
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you're trying to get to overcurrent protections, you're going to forty.
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Then you're going to secondary conductor rules and you're trying
471
00:31:42.319 --> 00:31:45.440
to find the limitations there, and you're all over the
472
00:31:45.480 --> 00:31:49.079
place and you're thinking, I, just where do I go?
473
00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:51.880
And you're on the job or maybe aye, even this,
474
00:31:52.279 --> 00:31:56.279
maybe an inspector says an equipment grounded conductor is too small?
475
00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:59.559
What information do I need to verify this requirement? Well,
476
00:32:00.119 --> 00:32:04.880
this is why I created trade Hog, folks, And it's cheap,
477
00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:07.599
and it is as cheap, and if cheaper, I have
478
00:32:07.720 --> 00:32:11.599
cheaper options than the monthly subscription to grock or to
479
00:32:11.839 --> 00:32:14.720
chatgy top. I made it affordable because I wanted to
480
00:32:14.759 --> 00:32:19.599
help the industry. You could cancel it anytime, but your
481
00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:22.160
support of it shows your support of us and allows
482
00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:24.400
us to keep adding to it and getting the model
483
00:32:24.480 --> 00:32:27.319
smarter and smarter and smarter. So again, the price of
484
00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:31.119
a coffee a day helps us create a product that
485
00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:33.359
will help you. If it helps you one time get
486
00:32:33.359 --> 00:32:38.720
out of trouble, guess what it's worth it. So TRADEHG
487
00:32:38.799 --> 00:32:42.480
can help organize the issue, identify likely code requirements in
488
00:32:42.599 --> 00:32:46.759
areas of code specificity that you need, explain the technical concepts,
489
00:32:46.799 --> 00:32:50.440
and give you the electrician a much stronger starting point
490
00:32:50.480 --> 00:32:54.839
for verification. Look, it does not mean blindly accept any
491
00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:59.519
AI generated answer. Even trade hog websites tell you that.
492
00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:03.279
But look, nothing can take the place of your skill,
493
00:33:04.759 --> 00:33:09.799
but it does give you positions to build from. The
494
00:33:09.839 --> 00:33:13.880
electrician will always remain responsible for the installation. The authority
495
00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:17.279
having jurisdiction will still remain responsible for interpreting and approval.
496
00:33:17.799 --> 00:33:22.519
The manufacturers, instructions and the equipment still matter. But a
497
00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:26.599
trade focused AI assistant can reduce wasted research time and
498
00:33:26.640 --> 00:33:30.319
time is money, and can help you narrow down a
499
00:33:30.359 --> 00:33:32.799
response to give that inspector or to help you in
500
00:33:32.839 --> 00:33:38.720
your calculation. Look, the future does not belong to electricians
501
00:33:38.759 --> 00:33:42.319
who allow AI to think for them. The future belongs
502
00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:44.839
to electricians who know how to use AI to help
503
00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:51.759
them think faster. You get what I'm saying. Think about
504
00:33:51.799 --> 00:33:55.880
it as the digital tool belt. Electricians have always adopted
505
00:33:55.920 --> 00:34:00.480
tools to improve productivity. We move from the handbrain to
506
00:34:00.519 --> 00:34:05.839
the power drills. We from folding rules to laser measuring tools,
507
00:34:05.880 --> 00:34:09.719
from handwritten estimates to estimating software, from paper drawings to
508
00:34:09.880 --> 00:34:15.440
digital drawings and plans, from basic meters to sophisticated diagnostic equipment.
509
00:34:16.159 --> 00:34:19.159
AI is nothing more than another tool, So I think
510
00:34:19.159 --> 00:34:22.360
of trade hall as part of that modern electrician's digital
511
00:34:22.400 --> 00:34:25.679
tool belt. A pair of alignment players does not make
512
00:34:25.719 --> 00:34:29.320
someone electrician. A multimeter does not make somebody an electrician.
513
00:34:29.400 --> 00:34:32.400
A codebook does not make somebody electrician, and an AI
514
00:34:32.440 --> 00:34:35.960
assystem does not make someone an electrician. The knowledge and
515
00:34:36.079 --> 00:34:39.800
judgment of a qualified person remains essential. But when the
516
00:34:39.960 --> 00:34:47.559
knowledgeable electrician uses the proper tools, the electricians become more efficient. Now,
517
00:34:49.000 --> 00:34:52.719
don't do not become the cheapest electrician. Become the most
518
00:34:52.880 --> 00:34:56.719
valuable electrician as you enter into this AI boom Okay,
519
00:34:57.159 --> 00:35:00.119
Too many electricians believe their only value is how how
520
00:35:00.159 --> 00:35:03.880
quickly they can install material, how fast you are Now,
521
00:35:03.960 --> 00:35:08.960
speed does matter, productivity does matter, but technical knowledge creates
522
00:35:08.960 --> 00:35:12.440
the different level of value. I can hire somebody that's quick,
523
00:35:12.840 --> 00:35:15.559
but if they don't have the technical knowledge to do
524
00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:19.639
more than that, one installation of that one widget exquisitely fast.
525
00:35:20.119 --> 00:35:21.960
Then they're not versatile enough for me to use them
526
00:35:21.960 --> 00:35:24.039
in other aspects of my business, and that's where I'm
527
00:35:24.039 --> 00:35:29.360
going to grow. So they're singular minded versus open minded
528
00:35:29.400 --> 00:35:33.079
to growth and technical advancement. The electrician who can identify
529
00:35:33.079 --> 00:35:38.199
a problem before equipment is ordered saves money. An electrician
530
00:35:38.239 --> 00:35:44.000
who understands system operation can prevent downtime. The electrician who
531
00:35:44.000 --> 00:35:46.920
can explain the National Electrical Code requirements to an engineer,
532
00:35:46.960 --> 00:35:51.599
a contractor, inspector, or customer becomes incredibly value and very
533
00:35:51.599 --> 00:35:58.039
difficult to replace, because communication is key. The more that
534
00:35:58.079 --> 00:36:01.719
you learn, the more that you enhance your skills, the
535
00:36:01.719 --> 00:36:04.119
more that you educate yourself, the more you use AI
536
00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:06.880
tools like trade Hall, the more you grow into this
537
00:36:07.119 --> 00:36:11.840
modern electrician rather than just a simple cable jockey, then
538
00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:15.079
your worth you become harder to replace. Granted, we're all
539
00:36:15.119 --> 00:36:18.000
replaceable in this world. But the more that you can
540
00:36:18.079 --> 00:36:21.760
enhance your skills and make you hard to replace is
541
00:36:21.760 --> 00:36:23.760
where you're going to see the benefits from this boom.
542
00:36:25.039 --> 00:36:28.159
An electrician who establishes the ability to be trouble have
543
00:36:28.440 --> 00:36:33.159
enhanced troubleshooting skills and complex distribution system is more valuable
544
00:36:33.159 --> 00:36:36.639
than somebody who only installs it in that same environment.
545
00:36:38.559 --> 00:36:40.440
So there's a there's a key thing here and this
546
00:36:40.519 --> 00:36:43.079
is this is why we created the CMMECP program. But
547
00:36:43.199 --> 00:36:46.360
this is key thing here. An electrician you're starting out,
548
00:36:46.360 --> 00:36:49.719
you're an apprentice, you're young. In this data boom that's coming.
549
00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:53.920
An electrician who can combine those field skills, their code knowledge,
550
00:36:53.960 --> 00:36:59.119
communication ability, and understand how to use modern technology will
551
00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:02.960
have opportunity it is that did not exist for previous generations.
552
00:37:04.199 --> 00:37:07.000
Do not compete to become the cheapest electrician on the project.
553
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:11.639
Become the electrician who understands what everybody else is installing.
554
00:37:12.679 --> 00:37:15.559
You've heard me say that, right. It's one thing to
555
00:37:15.760 --> 00:37:18.880
install it and blindly run a raceway from point A
556
00:37:18.920 --> 00:37:20.639
to point B than it is to be that kind
557
00:37:20.679 --> 00:37:24.880
of electrician that understands why I'm installing it from point
558
00:37:24.920 --> 00:37:28.320
A to point B. What electricians should do right now,
559
00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:32.239
in my opinion, is first strengthen your understanding of the
560
00:37:32.280 --> 00:37:35.639
National Electrical Code. If you've already got your license, we
561
00:37:35.719 --> 00:37:38.880
have a course called Mastering the NEC. You need to
562
00:37:38.920 --> 00:37:42.599
get that course. It never expires. It's always a resource
563
00:37:42.639 --> 00:37:45.039
in your pocket, and you can go back, and you
564
00:37:45.039 --> 00:37:47.760
should constantly go back and learn. Companies can do little
565
00:37:47.800 --> 00:37:50.039
lessons out of it. There's always something in it. Learn
566
00:37:50.119 --> 00:37:52.360
regardless of whether you use our program, Mike Holtz or
567
00:37:52.360 --> 00:37:57.000
somebody else's constantly keep learning, learning, learning in any c
568
00:37:58.000 --> 00:37:59.480
I hate it when people say, well, I don't need
569
00:37:59.480 --> 00:38:01.199
to know the any see, it's in the book. You
570
00:38:01.280 --> 00:38:06.480
are ignorant. You can read something and blatantly not understand
571
00:38:06.519 --> 00:38:09.199
it or comprehend it just because you have the book.
572
00:38:10.360 --> 00:38:13.639
You have to be engaged in it to understand it. Okay,
573
00:38:14.039 --> 00:38:18.119
we're not talking. Do not merely memorize isolated rules. Learn
574
00:38:18.159 --> 00:38:21.880
how the code is organized and how requirements work together. Secondly,
575
00:38:22.480 --> 00:38:26.119
improve your knowledge of grounding and bonding. The second most
576
00:38:26.119 --> 00:38:28.440
popular course that we offer is our Grounding and Bonding
577
00:38:28.440 --> 00:38:32.639
course on our website, because people can mess up grounding
578
00:38:32.679 --> 00:38:35.760
and bonding and they literally think that they're doing more
579
00:38:35.920 --> 00:38:39.119
makes it better, and ultimately you're doing more harm than
580
00:38:39.159 --> 00:38:42.400
good because they don't truly understand it and it sounds
581
00:38:42.440 --> 00:38:48.559
so simple, but it is grossly misunderstood. Now I serve
582
00:38:48.599 --> 00:38:50.719
on code Making Panel five, I can tell you that
583
00:38:50.719 --> 00:38:53.079
that's some of the smartest people that I've ever met
584
00:38:53.079 --> 00:38:55.559
that serve on that committee. They're there for a reason
585
00:38:56.199 --> 00:38:59.679
and they do an amazing job. But you'd be surprised
586
00:39:00.119 --> 00:39:04.559
how people are so confused at grounding and bonding. They
587
00:39:04.639 --> 00:39:08.840
just are. And you think it's easy, sizing equipment bonding jumpers,
588
00:39:08.920 --> 00:39:12.639
equipment grounding conductors, system binding jumpers, supply side bonding jumpers,
589
00:39:12.679 --> 00:39:18.760
sizing parallels. They think it it's easy, but that one
590
00:39:18.840 --> 00:39:24.679
big mistake could cost you a lot. And it's one
591
00:39:24.719 --> 00:39:27.320
of the most misunderstood areas of the electrical industry, and
592
00:39:27.360 --> 00:39:32.360
they become even more important in large complex facilities. Third,
593
00:39:32.920 --> 00:39:38.480
and I've said this before, learn electrical calculations. Understand conductor apacity.
594
00:39:38.760 --> 00:39:41.360
We have a free course on apacity over on our
595
00:39:41.679 --> 00:39:44.480
nec chat dot com that's n c c ch a
596
00:39:44.599 --> 00:39:48.199
t dot com. It's free. It's a message board, it's free.
597
00:39:48.239 --> 00:39:50.800
Go check it out. You can do the course over there.
598
00:39:50.840 --> 00:39:53.159
It's free, doesn't cost you anything. But you can also
599
00:39:53.320 --> 00:39:56.199
learn there. We have a guy named Josh there, young
600
00:39:56.320 --> 00:39:59.239
young electrician. It's learning uh. He likes to post a
601
00:39:59.239 --> 00:40:01.920
lot of code questions. It's a great opportunity to expand
602
00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:04.800
your knowledge and you should constantly be seeking that knowledge.
603
00:40:04.840 --> 00:40:06.719
I don't care how tired you are. I don't care
604
00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:08.760
if you work ten hours a day, twelve hours a day.
605
00:40:08.800 --> 00:40:11.440
You ain't alone. You're not the only one. Don't it.
606
00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:15.800
No not gives you any pity. You're working. You're hustling. Okay,
607
00:40:16.039 --> 00:40:18.320
suck it up and get to work. I did it.
608
00:40:19.079 --> 00:40:21.519
You can do it. I tell people all the time.
609
00:40:21.559 --> 00:40:23.480
You work your ass off in your twenties, your thirties
610
00:40:23.480 --> 00:40:26.119
and early forties so you can enjoy life in your
611
00:40:26.159 --> 00:40:30.920
fifties and sixties, because that's only two things are guaranteed
612
00:40:30.960 --> 00:40:33.679
in life, and that is death and taxes. And you're
613
00:40:33.679 --> 00:40:35.800
not gonna get away from paying your taxes and death.
614
00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:38.719
You never know when it's coming. Enjoy life while you can.
615
00:40:39.199 --> 00:40:41.800
But you know what people say, well, I don't want
616
00:40:41.800 --> 00:40:43.280
to work as hard when I'm younger because I want
617
00:40:43.280 --> 00:40:46.719
to enjoy life. That is bullshit. We're not put together
618
00:40:46.800 --> 00:40:49.800
that way. You work your ass off in your twenties
619
00:40:49.840 --> 00:40:52.920
and thirties and forties so you can enjoy your fifties,
620
00:40:52.920 --> 00:40:54.760
your sixties, and if you're blessed enough to live in
621
00:40:54.800 --> 00:40:57.599
your seventies, that's where you enjoy it because you know
622
00:40:57.679 --> 00:40:59.960
what if you're not working your ass off and you're
623
00:41:00.000 --> 00:41:01.920
twenty thirty and forties and you ain't got nothing and
624
00:41:01.960 --> 00:41:06.960
you ain't making nothing, then life is miserable because you're
625
00:41:06.960 --> 00:41:12.880
always chasing that next dollar. I'm just saying, uh. Fourth,
626
00:41:13.159 --> 00:41:19.039
become con comfortable reading on line diagrams and equipment specifications. Fifth,
627
00:41:19.360 --> 00:41:24.199
learn about medium vaultedge systems, generators, ups systems, energy storage systems,
628
00:41:24.199 --> 00:41:28.000
power quality commissioning, preventive maintenance. And I would advise you
629
00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:33.639
folks today to learn thermography. We have two great courses
630
00:41:33.760 --> 00:41:37.639
on our website. One is the CMECP programs direction was
631
00:41:37.760 --> 00:41:41.119
directed from that, which is actually called the Thermal Electrician
632
00:41:41.159 --> 00:41:44.559
program Certified Thermal Electrician that was actually derived out of
633
00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:48.880
the CMMECP program. And then we have normal thermography if
634
00:41:48.880 --> 00:41:51.360
you want to know the basics. Both are available on
635
00:41:51.400 --> 00:41:55.679
our website. Both will teach you thermography. I'm just saying,
636
00:41:55.719 --> 00:41:58.440
if you want to get certified in it, then you
637
00:41:58.480 --> 00:42:01.559
can do the CTE route. And that's a great program.
638
00:42:01.679 --> 00:42:04.840
Doesn't matter which thermal camera you use. It is really
639
00:42:04.880 --> 00:42:08.000
designed to teach you the fundamentals in the basic understanding
640
00:42:08.039 --> 00:42:11.000
of temperature differentials. Rather than just give you a bunch
641
00:42:11.000 --> 00:42:13.599
of pictures that you know. It doesn't matter what palette
642
00:42:13.599 --> 00:42:16.159
you're on. If you're using thermography camera, you know you've
643
00:42:16.199 --> 00:42:18.159
got so many different palettes and you'd have to explain
644
00:42:18.199 --> 00:42:19.960
every one of them. It's easier if we just talk
645
00:42:20.000 --> 00:42:23.679
about temperature and devoid it of a bunch of images,
646
00:42:23.719 --> 00:42:26.000
because that just doesn't do anything but serve to confuse you.
647
00:42:26.039 --> 00:42:27.519
Because if you want to look at an image, you've
648
00:42:27.519 --> 00:42:31.000
got your own camera, look at the damn screen. We
649
00:42:31.079 --> 00:42:35.039
want to talk temperatures, and that's what separates our program
650
00:42:35.079 --> 00:42:37.920
because we don't put that other fluff in there. I'm
651
00:42:37.960 --> 00:42:41.119
a big believer, whether it's my exam prep programs or
652
00:42:41.159 --> 00:42:44.519
our thermal imaging, it's the words. Obviously I create graphics
653
00:42:44.559 --> 00:42:47.719
and we create videos. But there's a reason that we
654
00:42:47.800 --> 00:42:50.440
train a certain way in the academy. There's a reason
655
00:42:51.960 --> 00:42:55.199
reading comprehension is the number one thing that kills people's
656
00:42:55.239 --> 00:42:57.960
ability to learn, and we focus on that heavily in
657
00:42:58.000 --> 00:43:02.880
our system called ballistic training. But learn about media voltage,
658
00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:07.079
learn about generation six, develop strong communication skills. Don't be
659
00:43:07.559 --> 00:43:10.800
somebody that shot hides in the shadows. But don't be argumentative,
660
00:43:10.880 --> 00:43:13.400
understand how to do deductive logic and reasoning, and be
661
00:43:13.440 --> 00:43:16.519
able to have a constructive conversation about it and take
662
00:43:16.559 --> 00:43:21.679
away important things. But make sure you're not falling for bullshit. Okay,
663
00:43:21.960 --> 00:43:24.400
don't fall for the stuff you see on social media
664
00:43:24.400 --> 00:43:27.679
and believe that it's gospel. Develop your own method of
665
00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:30.960
determining whether something is legit or not. And again that's
666
00:43:31.000 --> 00:43:35.559
where trade hog comes into play. It just really narrows
667
00:43:35.559 --> 00:43:39.920
out the BS, so the best technical answer has little
668
00:43:40.000 --> 00:43:43.800
value when you cannot explain it clearly. Finally, begin using
669
00:43:43.840 --> 00:43:46.840
AI responsibly by doing the research and the learning tool.
670
00:43:46.880 --> 00:43:48.960
That's where trade hug comes in. That's where you try
671
00:43:49.079 --> 00:43:52.320
chief hog, which is our interactive system over on trade
672
00:43:52.360 --> 00:43:56.119
hug dot net. You can ask it different types of
673
00:43:56.159 --> 00:43:58.639
electrical questions that you encounter in the field to help
674
00:43:58.679 --> 00:44:03.039
grow your knowledge. Okay. It provides complete facts, it identifies
675
00:44:03.079 --> 00:44:06.159
the code, additions, it challenges the responses, It even gives
676
00:44:06.199 --> 00:44:10.360
you follow up questions. Then it verifies the conclusion using
677
00:44:10.440 --> 00:44:14.639
the applicable code and insallation requirements. Do not use AI
678
00:44:14.719 --> 00:44:18.079
because you want to avoid learning. Use AI and things
679
00:44:18.119 --> 00:44:21.440
like trade hog because you are committed to learning more efficiently.
680
00:44:22.840 --> 00:44:27.199
That's what it's for. Look, folks, this is with data centers.
681
00:44:27.280 --> 00:44:32.280
This is the electricians moment. For decades, young people were
682
00:44:32.280 --> 00:44:35.639
told that success requires a four year college degree and
683
00:44:35.679 --> 00:44:39.480
an office job. The skilled trades were too often treated
684
00:44:39.519 --> 00:44:44.519
as a secondary option. I'm telling you it is not. Now.
685
00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:50.280
The companies creating the most advanced technology in human history
686
00:44:50.800 --> 00:44:55.960
are discovering that their future depends on people, right, depends
687
00:44:55.960 --> 00:45:00.840
on people who know how to build physical infrastructure, and
688
00:45:00.920 --> 00:45:04.639
they don't have college degrees all the time. The ones
689
00:45:04.679 --> 00:45:06.840
with the hands on are people out there that are
690
00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:12.760
working in the trenches. So a technology company can hire
691
00:45:12.800 --> 00:45:17.519
thousands of programmers, it can purchase the most advanced servers
692
00:45:17.559 --> 00:45:21.679
available in the industry, it can develop the greatest AI
693
00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:27.639
artificial intelligence platform ever created, but without electrical capacity, the
694
00:45:27.760 --> 00:45:32.599
entire operation is nothing more than an expensive collection of metal, plastic,
695
00:45:32.719 --> 00:45:37.119
and silicone. The electrician brings it to life. That is
696
00:45:37.159 --> 00:45:42.239
why this moment matters. AI is not making electricians obsolete.
697
00:45:42.760 --> 00:45:45.800
AI is increasing the value of electricity and with that,
698
00:45:46.599 --> 00:45:49.159
when the value of electricity increase, the value of the
699
00:45:49.280 --> 00:45:53.960
qualified electrician increases with it. Folks, we are entering an
700
00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:58.679
area of enormous opportunity. Data centers will need power, utilities
701
00:45:58.679 --> 00:46:03.480
will need expansion, manufacturers will need production, contractors will need
702
00:46:03.519 --> 00:46:07.840
skilled labor, and facilities will need maintenance. And the electrical
703
00:46:07.880 --> 00:46:10.840
industry will need men and women who are prepared to
704
00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:16.159
work on systems that are larger, faster, more advanced, and
705
00:46:16.239 --> 00:46:20.880
more critical than ever before. This is a real opportunity, folks,
706
00:46:20.960 --> 00:46:23.119
And for people that are getting into this trade early on,
707
00:46:23.760 --> 00:46:26.159
I want you to thirst for knowledge. I want you
708
00:46:26.199 --> 00:46:29.559
to constantly strive to learn something new every day. That
709
00:46:29.679 --> 00:46:31.880
is the beautiful thing about trade Hog. That's a beautiful
710
00:46:31.880 --> 00:46:36.199
thing about our fast Tracks program is that opportunity does
711
00:46:36.280 --> 00:46:39.440
not reward people simply because they're there or present. It
712
00:46:39.480 --> 00:46:43.440
rewards people who are prepared, who learn the code, who
713
00:46:43.480 --> 00:46:46.599
strive to learn the diffarent systems that learns the technology,
714
00:46:46.639 --> 00:46:51.679
that develops good troubleshooting skills. Strengthen your communication skills and
715
00:46:51.800 --> 00:46:54.920
place modern tools like trade Hog in your digital tool
716
00:46:54.960 --> 00:47:00.559
belt and artificial intelligence. Revolution may be powered by computer code, folks,
717
00:47:00.559 --> 00:47:04.079
but computer code is powered by electrical systems, and those
718
00:47:04.119 --> 00:47:08.559
electrical systems are powered by who you and me. We
719
00:47:08.679 --> 00:47:13.440
are the electricians, We build the infrastructure, We energize the future,
720
00:47:13.920 --> 00:47:19.440
and this may be our greatest opportunity ever. Folks. I'm
721
00:47:19.440 --> 00:47:23.039
telling you the time is here. If you're the electrician,
722
00:47:23.079 --> 00:47:25.280
getting in the industry doesn't matter whether you're just doing
723
00:47:25.320 --> 00:47:28.119
service calls and you're starting out. You do not know
724
00:47:28.159 --> 00:47:31.000
where this industry is going to take you. Buckle down,
725
00:47:31.639 --> 00:47:36.360
study hard, learn everything you can. Constantly keep learning, don't
726
00:47:36.360 --> 00:47:42.000
get complacent, keep growth, always look forward, build for your family.
727
00:47:42.519 --> 00:47:45.920
We are at an AI gold rush, folks. Whether it's
728
00:47:46.000 --> 00:47:48.800
directly happening when you're working with the data center or
729
00:47:48.800 --> 00:47:52.440
you're working at infrastructure around it, it all is a
730
00:47:52.639 --> 00:47:56.480
chain of events and I'm hoping that it brings a
731
00:47:56.519 --> 00:47:59.039
lot of prosperity to you a lot of electricians out there.
732
00:47:59.239 --> 00:48:01.320
Till next time, folks, Stay safe, God blessed. We'll catch
733
00:48:01.320 --> 00:48:03.639
you on the next episode of Master the NEC, the
734
00:48:03.679 --> 00:48:06.199
podcast where I talk about electrical You can get it
735
00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:09.760
on all your favorite podcasting platforms. Take care, God bless.
736
00:48:09.880 --> 00:48:13.840
Welcome to the Masters. Thanks for tuning into another electrifying
737
00:48:13.880 --> 00:48:18.000
episode of the Master of the NEC podcast. We hope
738
00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:20.320
you're feeling more powered up and ready to tackle the
739
00:48:20.360 --> 00:48:25.239
electrical world with the knowledge and confidence you need to succeed. Remember,
740
00:48:25.400 --> 00:48:28.920
in the electrical trade, knowledge is power, and we're here
741
00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:31.599
to make sure you stay plugged into the latest insights,
742
00:48:31.880 --> 00:48:36.880
tips and code updates. If you enjoy today's episode, don't
743
00:48:36.880 --> 00:48:40.079
forget to subscribe, leave us a review, and share the
744
00:48:40.119 --> 00:48:45.440
podcast with your fellow electricians and industry pros. Until next time,
745
00:48:45.840 --> 00:48:48.960
keep your tools sharp, your circuits clear, and you're my
746
00:48:49.159 --> 00:48:52.360
focus because here at the Master of the NEC podcast,
747
00:48:52.679 --> 00:48:57.559
we're all about sparking your success. Stay safe, stay smart,
748
00:48:57.760 --> 00:49:01.519
and keep mastering the trade. From all of us here
749
00:49:01.559 --> 00:49:04.599
at Electrical Code Academy, thank you for all your support
750
00:49:04.679 --> 00:49:06.800
and we will see you on the next amazing Master
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00:49:06.880 --> 00:49:13.960
of the NEEC podcast episode.