Welcome electrotechnical professionals engaged in the built environment of school, college, university and university-affiliated hospital facilities. Despite working in the the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States there are remarkably few of us.
We mark our 30th year of direct engagement in development of NFPA 70 — the National Electrical Code — and we are now hard upon the 2026 revision.
We have been transitioning from the IEEE host (with limited WordPress features) to this full-featured platform as agreed-upon during the January-February 2023 IEEE E&H meetings. Transcripts of priority committee actions at the First Draft Meetings in Charleston late January are linked below:
https://docinfofiles.nfpa.org/files/AboutTheCodes/70/70_A2025_NEC_P15_PISubmittals.pdf (CMP-15)
NFPA 70 2026 Edition Public Input by Mike Anthony and others
(Note: 132 pages are included in the document linked above because the NFPA download includes Chapter 1 definitions. Only ~40 Public Inputs submitted as an IEEE interest and as Standards Michigan)
70_A2025_NEC_P15_FD_ballotcirc | CMP15 Ballot
Comments on Public Input for the 2026 Revision will be received until 28 August 2024
As discussed over the past year during the four times monthly meetings of the Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee, we place our priorities on the following, for the 2026 NEC revision:
1. Continued referencing of IEEE 3000 Standards Collection for Industrial & Commercial Power Systems into the NEC.
2. Re-submitting proposals that were not accepted in the 2023 revision:
- Reduction of the per-outlet allowance to 120 VA from 180 VA in Chapter 2 for classrooms.
- Definition of “Demonstrated Load” for service, feeder and branch circuit wiring design as the concept has proven successful in the Canadian Electrical Code
- Hospital plug load branch circuit design (assisting Mazzetti Associates leadership)
- Improvements to Article 100 Definitions and Article 110 General Requirements
- Harmonization with the International Building Code Chapter 27
- Independence of Power Sources to Healthcare Facilities (Article 517)
- Medium Voltage Equipment (Article 495)
- Special Event Temporary Wiring (Articles 518-520)
3. New proposals:
- Updating Critical Operations Power System requirements to include telecommunication system power reliability
- Presenting language into Article 517 to confirm that utility-level subtransmission circuits are identified on swithgear
- Municipal use of university-owned overhead and underground wiring structures for security
- Harmonization with 2023 National Electrical Safety Code on Interactive Power Sources (Article 705)
- Harmonization with NFPA 110 and 111 (Emergency and Standby Power Sources)
- Utility owned switchgear on customer premises
- Harmonization with ASHRAE 90.1 now that its scope has expanded to include all physical space outside of, and in-between buildings
- Recognition that power system reliability on Owner premises is a far greater, and more frequent hazard than wiring fire safety
All other proposals from any stakeholder — not just the education facilities industry — will be welcomed. The E&H Committee meets twice on September 5th. CLICK HERE for Standards Michigan colloquium login credentials. You may simply call Mike Anthony @ 888-748-3670 to discuss your own ideas over the phone.
National Electrical Code Style Manual 2023 Update
2021 International Building Code: Chapter 27 Electrical
2022 ASHRAE 90.1 Energy Standard for Sites and Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings
While an ASHRAE title may seem outside our wheelhouse, we remind our electrical colleagues that ASHRAE recently expanded its scope to all energy systems outside buildings. Since ASHRAE updates its standards about every 90 days, and is “automatically” incorporated by reference into local public safety and sustainability regulation, competitor organizations in a similar domain that update every 3 years need to be mindful of elevated likelihood of overlap, contradiction and out-of-step conditions on core and nascent safety concepts.
References:
2023 National Electrical Safety Code
Nehad’s Article-by-Article Worksheet
ARTICLES 90, 100, 110, Chapter 9 Table 10, Annex A, Annex H, Annex I, Annex J, Annex J, Annex J
ARTICLES 210, 220 Parts I through V, Annex D, Examples D1 through D6.
ARTICLES 300, 305, 335, 590, 722, 724,725,726, 728, 760, Chapter 9 Tables 11(A), 11(B), 12(A), and 12(B)
ARTICLES 690, 691, 694, 705…
ARTICLES 200, 250 (Grounding and Bonding)
ARTICLES 310, et al (mostly conductor related)
ARTICLES 545, 547, 550, 551, 552, 553, 555, 604, 675, and Annex D, Examples D11 and D12
ARTICLES 342, et. al | Conductors
ARTICLES 312, 314, 404, 408, 450, 495…
ARTICLES 215, 225, 230…
ARTICLES 409, 430, 440, 460, 470 & Annex D and Example D8
ARTICLES 610, 620, 625, 626, 630, 640, 645. 646, 647, 650, 660, 6665, 668, 669, 670, 680, 685, Annex D, Examples D9 and D10.
CMP-13
ARTICLE 445, 455, 695, 700,701,702,708,750, Annex F and Annex G
CMP-14
ARTICLES 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 511, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516220 Part VI, 517, 518, 520, 522, 525, 530, 540
CMP-15
ARTICLES 220 Part VI, 517, 518, 520, 522, 525, 530, 540
CMP-16
Articles 770,800, 805, 810, 820, 830, 840
CMP-17
Articles 442, 424, 426, 427, 680, 682
ARTICLES 406, 410, 411, 600, 605…
