Industry Trade Publications for Electricians

Trade publications are ideal for keeping up to date with trends, developments, and news in the electrical industry. If you are enrolled in an electrician training program, the following magazines can be a helpful resource for you:

Electrical Construction & Maintenance

Electrical Construction & Maintenance (EC&M) magazine is a monthly publication covering the electrical, construction, operations and maintenance industry. The magazine has been published since 1901.

• Content: technical articles, market/construction forecasts, proprietary surveys/reports, and news stories
• Audience: professionals working for electrical contracting firms, industrial plants, commercial/institutional facilities, and consulting electrical engineers
• Distribution: print/digital magazine, e-newsletter, website ¹

Electrical Contractor

This monthly magazine is published by the National Electrical Contractors Association and covers the field of electrical construction.

• Content: National Electrical Code trends, other codes & standards, utilities, alternative/renewable energies, energy efficiency, safety standards, lighting, design/build, service & maintenance, market development, and more
• Audience: business owners/partners/presidents, engineers, estimators, purchasing agents, project managers, supervisors, foremen, electricians, and others
• Distribution: print/digital magazine, website, mobile app, social media ²

International Association of Electrical Inspectors News

IAEI News offers educational forums, updates on electrical codes, and research news with the goal of promoting best practices regarding product development and safety. IAEI News was first published in 1928 as the official platform of the International Association of Electrical Inspectors and comes out six times a year.

• Content: industry news, editorials, features, PV technology, codes
• Audience: electrical personnel, specifically, electrical inspectors
• Distribution: print/digital magazine, website ³

Electrical News

Electrical News reports on news about the electrical industry from a regional, national, and global perspective. The first publication was the Southwest edition in 1984.

• Content: news about companies, products, people, industry gatherings, events
• Audience: contractors, lighting specifies, manufacturers, representatives, distributors, and other electrical industry related professionals
• Distribution: print/digital magazine, website ⁴

Ted Magazine

Ted Magazine is a monthly publication for electrical distribution companies in North America.

• Content: green/alternative energy, market trends, new products, manufacturer marketing programs, best practices for distributors, lighting, economic outlook, news for distributors & supplies, and more
• Audience: distributor salespersons, distribution executives, national chains, independent distributors
• Distribution: print/digital magazine, website, video channel ⁵

These publications should help you stay in the loop with the electrical industry, whether you choose to work in construction, lighting, distribution, or whichever field interests you. While most magazine subscriptions for the print or digital version cost a fee, all of these outlets also offer free additional web content. Consider subscribing to one or two magazines relevant to you and check the other ones for their free supplementary information.