Around the Local

Voting for the 2025 IBEW Photo Contest closed January 31. Winners, including a $1,000 first prize and $750 second prize, will be announced in the March 2026 issue of The Electrical Worker, available online March 1.
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A new independent report analyzing 154 statements from major tech companies and the IEA found no verified examples of generative AI tools, including Google's Gemini and Microsoft's Copilot, delivering measurable reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers say companies are deliberately conflating energy-efficient traditional machine learning with the far more power-hungry generative AI to mislead the public about the technology's climate impact.
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Ten years after the Paris Agreement took effect, newly released climate data shows 2025 ranking among the three hottest years on record, with ocean heat and sea levels reaching new highs. Efforts to phase out fossil fuels remain insufficient, and with the U.S. having withdrawn from the accord, the world is on course to significantly overshoot its climate targets.
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Climate superfund legislation is gaining momentum across multiple states despite ongoing legal challenges from fossil fuel companies. The bills aim to hold major polluters financially responsible for climate change impacts and fund infrastructure improvements.
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Construction has begun on a new $20 million IBEW training facility in Cambria County. The state-of-the-art center will provide apprenticeship programs and continuing education for electrical workers, expanding workforce development opportunities in the region.
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