Contractors are finding it increasingly difficult to get such electrical equipment as transformers and switchgear, causing delays in the building of electric vehicle charging stations and the modernization of electrical grids.
A new report issued by the Wall Street Journal notes that delays are being fueled by a “boom in power-hungry renewable-energy projects, data centers and semiconductor factories, stretching the production capabilities of electrical equipment suppliers.”
The delays have been a long time coming and are impacting different industries in different ways. Late last year the American Public Power Association asked its members how long it was taking for the delivery of new transformers, and the answer on average was roughly a year. In 2018, the average was around three months.
Reports the publication New Scientist: “Efforts to modernize ageing electrical grids face delays of months or even years,” adding that the delays were for the most part being caused because of a “national shortage of electrical distribution transformers.”
The lack of supply is forcing electrical contractors, notes the site Raiven, to “waste their valuable time searching for available equipment and supplies, building up parts inventories when they do find stock, evaluating new suppliers, and contacting manufacturers directly for products.”
The challenge is made all the greater by a lack of fiber optic cables and components and even utility poles.
Where it will all end is uncertain, although experts say the supply chain issues hampering the construction industry last year have largely lessened. The Wall Street Journal article notes one industrial supplier who says its output has increased by as much as 75%.
Only problem: demand is up 100% to 150%.
By Garry Boulard
