Electrical Wholesaling Magazine

Copper prices fell to the lowest level seen in well over a year last month as continuing surplus conditions were further weakened by lower expectations for global industrial growth and a sell-off in commodities led by gold. Copper for April delivery, the front-month contract, settled as low as at $3.082 a pound on the New York Mercantile Exchange’s Comex, falling into "bear" investment territory, defined as a drop of 20% from the recent high of $3.9785 a pound in Feb. 2012....More

The industry’s shift to solid-state lighting sources such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) continues to be one of the most dynamic areas of product development and market realignment in the electrical industry. This transition has been getting substantial support from the U.S. Department of Energy, which offers programs for performance testing and standardized methods for reporting performance characteristics, with an eye toward assisting market acceptance....More