A cable for power distribution applications includes a plurality of wires bundled into the cable. The plurality of wires typically is comprised of interior wires and peripheral wires with the peripheral wires surrounding the interior wires. At least one wire is coated with a high emissivity coating that includes at least 10 weight percent aluminum oxide and a metal oxide other than aluminum oxide. Characteristically, the wire coated with the high emissivity coating has an emissivity greater than about 0.5 in the infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum and a surface area at least 50 times greater than the surface area of a bare wire prior to being coated with the high emissivity coating.