CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION - EV Chargers

[mtnelect]

Importance of electrical work being performed by Licensed Electrical Contractors and State certified electricians

 

[retirede]

The letter uses the term “Certified”, not “Licensed.”
Is that just California terminology, or is there an actual difference?

 

[mtnelect]

The letter uses the term “Certified”, not “Licensed.”
Is that just California terminology, or is there an actual difference?

The IBEW lobbied the State of California legislator to pass a bill that would eliminate "Trunk Slammers". A bill was passed giving the Department of Industrial Relations the power to license electricians working for Electrical Contractors. You had to prove your experience or have completed a state approved apprenticeship and passed the state exam. The Contractors State License Board would enforce it.

 

[retirede]

The IBEW lobbied the State of California legislator to pass a bill that would eliminate "Trunk Slammers". A bill was passed giving the Department of Industrial Relations the power to license electricians working for Electrical Contractors. You had to prove your experience or have completed a state approved apprenticeship and passed the state exam. The Contractors State License Board would enforce it.

So a “certified electrician” is someone who has demonstrated some level of competence, but doesn’t hold a license, and must work under someone with a license?

 

[jaggedben]

The IBEW lobbied the State of California legislator to pass a bill that would eliminate "Trunk Slammers". A bill was passed giving the Department of Industrial Relations the power to certify license electricians working for Electrical Contractors. You had to prove your experience or have completed a state approved apprenticeship and passed the state exam. The Contractors State License Board would enforce it.

Fixed it for you.

This is actually a travesty right now. The demand for electrical work is higher than ever and DIR is too underfunded. Too many guys working for small C-10s aren't properly registered, and you can't parlay relevant experience for a solar or general contractor into becoming a certified journeyman. (That includes 17,000 guys who lost jobs in solar in the last year). And I hear DIR is getting more stringent about having your paperwork in order. So why stick your head up to seek certification if you will be denied and your boss might get investigated? And why put in all the effort when DIR won't consistently return calls? So the current system encourages people to skirt the rules and not study for an exam or otherwise improve their knowledge or skills other than by failing inspections.

In reality that letter is about IBEW is trying to hoard all the work. It's a crock of s---. It's not what the state economy and consumers need right now. The Energy Commission is talking about exactly what's needed, a 'workforce development and training' program, so we have more electricians. There really needs to be:
1) a temporary amnesty/inclusion for everyone and their bosses who either worked for a C-10 without being certified/registered, or who did electrical work for a C-46 or B.
2) adequate funding for DIR to certify these folks and do additional training

By all means the state should have programs to help ensure qualifications for individuals doing electrical work. The current law and the way it's (not really) being enforced and supported is actually contributing to the opposite of that.

 

[jaggedben]

So a “certified electrician” is someone who has demonstrated some level of competence, but doesn’t hold a license, and must work under someone with a license?

A certified electrician has passed the test administered by DIR. You got the rest basically right. (A certified electrician could apply for a license separately.)

 

[mtnelect]

Fixed it for you.

This is actually a travesty right now. The demand for electrical work is higher than ever and DIR is too underfunded. Too many guys working for small C-10s aren't properly registered, and you can't parlay relevant experience for a solar or general contractor into becoming a certified journeyman. (That includes 17,000 guys who lost jobs in solar in the last year). And I hear DIR is getting more stringent about having your paperwork in order. So why stick your head up to seek certification if you will be denied and your boss might get investigated? And why put in all the effort when DIR won't consistently return calls? So the current system encourages people to skirt the rules and not study for an exam or otherwise improve their knowledge or skills other than by failing inspections.

In reality that letter is about IBEW is trying to hoard all the work. It's a crock of s---. It's not what the state economy and consumers need right now. The Energy Commission is talking about exactly what's needed, a 'workforce development and training' program, so we have more electricians. There really needs to be:
1) a temporary amnesty/inclusion for everyone and their bosses who either worked for a C-10 without being certified/registered, or who did electrical work for a C-46 or B.
2) adequate funding for DIR to certify these folks and do additional training

By all means the state should have programs to help ensure qualifications for individuals doing electrical work. The current law and the way it's (not really) being enforced and supported is actually contributing to the opposite of that.

Thanks for the correction !

 

[Knightryder12]

Fixed it for you.

This is actually a travesty right now. The demand for electrical work is higher than ever and DIR is too underfunded. Too many guys working for small C-10s aren't properly registered, and you can't parlay relevant experience for a solar or general contractor into becoming a certified journeyman. (That includes 17,000 guys who lost jobs in solar in the last year). And I hear DIR is getting more stringent about having your paperwork in order. So why stick your head up to seek certification if you will be denied and your boss might get investigated? And why put in all the effort when DIR won't consistently return calls? So the current system encourages people to skirt the rules and not study for an exam or otherwise improve their knowledge or skills other than by failing inspections.

In reality that letter is about IBEW is trying to hoard all the work. It's a crock of s---. It's not what the state economy and consumers need right now. The Energy Commission is talking about exactly what's needed, a 'workforce development and training' program, so we have more electricians. There really needs to be:
1) a temporary amnesty/inclusion for everyone and their bosses who either worked for a C-10 without being certified/registered, or who did electrical work for a C-46 or B.
2) adequate funding for DIR to certify these folks and do additional training

By all means the state should have programs to help ensure qualifications for individuals doing electrical work. The current law and the way it's (not really) being enforced and supported is actually contributing to the opposite of that.

If there is such a huge push to go solar, especially in Cali, how in the world did 17,000 solar guys lose their jobs. That is some crazy crap.

 

[jaggedben]

If there is such a huge push to go solar, especially in Cali, how in the world did 17,000 solar guys lose their jobs. That is some crazy crap.

They changed the rules for how customers get paid for sending energy back to the grid. Residential and commercial sales have plummeted. They dialed back on the huge push.

 

[mtnelect]

Importance of electrical work being performed by Licensed Electrical Contractors and State certified electricians.

 

[macmikeman]

The way I see things headed is you will soon? have to bring in an engineer on every project to " commision" the system for a large fee.

Most contractors in my area are now doing 85% of their projects without getting any building permit, due to the long waits for one and all the extra tasks and restrictions that weren't part of the process 5-10 years ago. Permits used to take on average a week for dwellings and 3 months for commercial projects to be reviewed. Now it is a one year minimum and two years often process. Customers do not want to wait out the time frame either. It is costly to them. Seems to me like the new trend of digital everything is what started the slowdown of approval and issuance of permits. Oh, and ugh, common sense seems to have disapeared from the process also, which is a huge disorder based on apprehension . Did computers really make things easier and faster? Nope, not really..........