This month has been so busy for all of us, but it is important to pause for a moment and reflect on events that may be locationally distant, but very near in terms of the way they will impact us now and into the future.

 

This month, we witnessed to the senseless Maine shooting where our NECA contractors and IBEW members live and work; the turmoil of the Gaza and Israel conflicts, the weakened leadership in Congress – all demand new solutions to ongoing challenges.

 

We all recognize that good people of all faiths and backgrounds comprise our NECA Boston community, and we share the same concern for humanity’s future in these uncertain times. But we must remain connected through our programs and continue to present our electrical construction industry and advocate for our industry with key decision makers in our region.

 

And in the small part that NECA Boston plays in your lives, we remain committed to bettering your teams, businesses and our NECA community. Just this month, we have been busy with the following activities:

 

  • New partnerships such as our renewed Associated Industries of Massachusetts membership and our new Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) Allied Membership.

 

 

 

  • Results driven education programs this past month including our Foreman Training Series, Basic Estimating program, Building Information Modeling workshops and Leadership trainings;

 

  • Representation at the NECA National Convention and local industry events with Congressman Auchincloss, MA Clean Energy Council event, Mass Broadband Institute meeting & AGC Diversity Summit.

 

We continue to look ahead to more community and growth opportunities for our NECA contractors throughout the remainder of 2023.

Some of these initiatives include:

  • The upcoming IBEW/NECA DEI Summit on November 9th and our continued commitment to DEI in the workplace. Learn more >>
  • NECA November 15th Chapter Meeting – real talk with Scott VanVoorhis of The Contrarian Boston. Register here >>
  • NECA Holiday Celebration on December 8th at the Newbury Hotel. Register Here >>

 

A Smaller World, with Greater Changes:  Increased Focus on Climate Change & Housing

While our world is getting smaller, our role in climate change and housing are growing larger, especially as it impacts the plethora of work opportunities for our NECA Contractors.

 

The Northeast Energy and Commerce Association is hosting their 2023 Power Markets Conference where key decision makers will discuss design options for the energy market, ancillary services market, and capacity market. These discussions will cover the advantages and disadvantages of different options, their timelines, and associated costs. Additionally, there will be conversations about the necessary transmission infrastructure investments to support the energy transition. NECA invites participants to join the conference and contribute ideas for this renovation process.

 

This month Governor Healey introduced her $4.12B Housing Bond Bill aimed at creating tens of thousands of residential units across the state. The bill proposes more than two dozen policy changes and three executive orders that will lead to job opportunities for NECA contractors and our IBEW partners. [ https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/18/business/healey-housing-plan/ ]

 

Governor Healey's new climate chief, Melissa Hoffer unveiled  39 specific recommendations of modifications and improvements to better align executive department decision-making and action on climate matters. [ https://www.mass.gov/news/climate-chief-report-outlines-whole-of-government-approach-to-address-climate-crisis ]

 

Jumpstarting our Work

NECA Boston, along with our government affairs firm, Tremont Strategies Group continue to work through the proposed policies and recommendations. The Housing Bond bill and the Climate report mark the start of comprehensive discussions and engagement with policy makers to ensure our issues are addressed and construction industry is well represented throughout the process.

 

NECA Boston is Your Association

As we head into the holiday season, wishing everyone more peace in a time where we need to support each other through our common relationships, business network and within our communities. See you at the next NECA event!.

 

Kristen Gowin