1 pound dried split peas, rinsed and picked over 1 ham hock, ham bone, or 1 pound diced ham 1 onion, chopped 2 carrots, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 cups chicken or vegetable broth 2 bay leaves Salt and pepper to taste Optional: thyme, parsley, or other herbs for flavor
Instructions:
Prepare the ingredients: Rinse the split peas under cold water and pick out any debris. Chop the onion, carrots, and celery. Mince the garlic.
Sauté aromatic vegetables: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes.
Add split peas and broth: Add the rinsed split peas to the pot, along with the ham hock, ham bone, or diced ham. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth. Add bay leaves and any other herbs you’re using.
Simmer the soup: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are tender and the soup has thickened, about 1 to 1.5 hours. If using a ham hock or bone, remove it from the soup once the meat is falling off the bone; shred the meat and return it to the pot.
Season to taste: Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
Serve: Remove the bay leaves before serving. Ladle the soup into bowls and enjoy hot. Optionally, you can garnish with chopped fresh parsley or a drizzle of olive oil.
Tips: You can customize the soup by adding other vegetables like potatoes or leeks. For a vegetarian version, omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. Split pea soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add more broth or water when reheating leftovers.
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Energy 400: Codes and standards for energy systems between campus buildings. (District energy systems including interdependence with electrical and water supply)
A different “flavor of money” runs through each of these domains and this condition is reflected in best practice discovery and promulgation. Energy 200 is less informed by tax-free (bonded) money than Energy 400 titles.
Some titles cover safety and sustainability in both interior and exterior energy domains so we simply list them below:
There are other ad hoc and open-source consortia that occupy at least a niche in this domain. All of the fifty United States and the Washington DC-based US Federal Government throw off public consultations routinely and, of course, a great deal of faculty interest lies in research funding.
Please join our daily colloquia using the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.
ICYMI – here is our 50th anniversary lecture from Professor Helen Thompson on the 1970s energy crises and what we can learn from it, with some great questions from our audience! https://t.co/9XUqc3fx5fpic.twitter.com/zHvqY8HYL1
LSU supports U.S. energy security through its renowned Craft & Hawkins Department of Petroleum Engineering, one of the nation’s top programs. Established decades ago, it trains engineers in drilling, production, reservoir management, and enhanced oil recovery, supplying skilled talent to the petroleum industry that underpins domestic oil and gas output.
Deep ties to Louisiana’s petroleum sector, including industry partnerships and research via the Center for Energy Studies, enhance production in a state central to Gulf Coast operations. Proximity to Henry Hub—the benchmark pricing point for U.S. natural gas in Erath, Louisiana—amplifies LSU’s role: the university’s expertise aids the stable supply, pricing transparency, and infrastructure that powers LNG exports and national energy reliability.
Teacher pension funds, typically defined-benefit plans, were designed decades ago for stable, lifelong careers in one state or district. They fail to prepare for modern 50+ year careers (spanning multiple jobs, states, or even professions) due to structural flaws. They also buy the bonds that finance the construction of buildings where the teachers work.
Benefits are heavily backloaded: little value accrues early in a career, with most wealth spiking only after 20–30 years tied to final average salary and service years. Teachers leaving before vesting (often 5–10 years) get back only their contributions, sometimes with minimal interest — no employer match.
Portability is poor; pensions rarely transfer across state lines, penalizing mobility. Many teachers never reach full benefits, as turnover is high — over half leave before qualifying for meaningful payouts, while plans assume only a minority stay long-term.
Early retirement incentives (often after 25–30 years) encourage exiting in one’s 50s, not sustaining decades-long work. Unfunded liabilities divert contributions to debt rather than future benefits. Overall, these systems reward narrow, traditional paths but leave flexible, long careers underprepared, forcing reliance on personal savings or Social Security where available.
— National Council on Teacher Retirement (@NCTRtalk) February 12, 2026
The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA) was founded in 1918 by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie through the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. In 1905, Carnegie had established a free pension system for college professors, but it proved unsustainable as higher education expanded rapidly. To create a permanent, portable solution, the Foundation launched TIAA as a nonprofit life insurance company, with Carnegie Corporation providing a $1 million endowment.
TIAA offered contributory, fully funded annuities where both employers and employees shared costs, ensuring secure retirement income for educators—predating Social Security. In 1952, it added CREF (College Retirement Equities Fund), the first variable annuity, to combat inflation. This innovative model focused on lifetime income for those serving academia.
$
Fidelity does not offer a traditional “teacher pension plan.” Instead, it provides 403(b) retirement savings plans, which are the most common supplemental retirement option for K-12 teachers and higher-education employees across the USA.A 403(b) plan allows educators to contribute a portion of their salary on a pre-tax basis (or Roth after-tax), reducing current taxable income while building retirement savings. Contributions grow tax-deferred, and investments can include mutual funds, target-date funds, and other options managed through Fidelity.
Unlike state teacher pensions (defined benefit), Fidelity’s 403(b) is a defined contribution plan — the final amount depends on contributions and investment performance. It supplements a teacher’s primary state pension and Social Security.
Fidelity is one of the largest and most respected 403(b) providers, known for low-cost investment options and strong online tools. Availability depends on whether your school district has selected Fidelity as an approved vendor.
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Mike Anthony is ID Number 469 | Proposal period closes 11:59 PM US Pacific Time | May 15
Meeting Notes in red
Loss of electric power and internet service happens more frequently and poses at least an equal — if not greater threat — to public safety. So why does neither the National Electrical Code or the National Electrical Safety Code integrate reliability into their core requirements? Reliability requirements appear in a network of related documents, either referenced, or incorporated by reference; sometimes automatically, sometimes not.
NESC Main Committee Membership: Page xii
Apart from the IEEE as the accredited standards developer, there are no “pure non-government user-interests” on this committee; although ANSI’s Essential Requirements for balance of interests provides highly nuanced interpretation. The Classifications on Page xiii represents due diligence on meeting balance of interest requirements.
In our case, we are one of many large universities that usually own district energy plants that both generate and purchase generate electric power (as sometimes provide var support to utilities when necessary; as during the August 2003 North American outage). For University of Michigan, for example, has about 20 service points at 4.8 – 120 kV. Its Central Power Plant is the largest cogeneration plant on the DTE system.
Contents: Page xxviii | PDF Page 29
Absence of internet service is at least as much a hazard, and more frequent, than downed wires. Is there a standards solution? Consideration of interoperability of internet service power supported on utility poles should track in the next revision.
No mention of any reliability related IEEE reliability standards in the present edition. Why is this?
Section 2: Definitions of Special Terms| PDF Page 46
In the 2023 Handbook, the term “reliability” shows up 34 times.
availability (from Bob Arno’s IEEE 3006-series and IEEE 493 Gold Book revision)
reliability (Bob Arno)
utility (PDF Page 57)
communication | PDF Page 47
list of terms defined in the 2023 National Electrical Code that are new and relevant to this revision: (Article 100 NEC)
municipal broadband network, digital subscriber line, surveillance cameras
wireless communication system
010. Purpose | PDF Page 40
Looks like improvement since last edition. Suggest explicit Informational Note, as in the NEC, using “reliability” and referring to other agencies. “Abnormal events” could be tighter and refer to other standards for abnormal, steady-state events. The clarification of purpose is welcomed although a great deal remains uncovered by other best practice literature; though that can be repaired in this edition.
Legacy of shared circuit path standards. Should provisions be made for municipal surveillance, traffic and vehicle control infrastructure. What would that look like?
011. Scope | Covered PDF Page 40
3. Utility facilities and functions of utilities that either (a) generate energy by conversion from some other form of energy such as, but not limited to, fossil fuel, chemical, electrochemical, nuclear, solar, mechanical, wind or hydraulic or communication signals, or accept energy or communication signals from another entity, or (b) provide that energy or communication signals through a delivery point to another entity.
5. Utility facilities and functions on the line side of the service point supplied by underground or overhead conductors maintained and/or installed under exclusive control of utilities located on public or private property in accordance with legally established easements or rights-of-way, contracts, other agreements (written or by conditions of service), or as authorized by a regulating or controlling body. NOTE: Agreements to locate utility facilities on property may be required where easements are either (a) not obtainable (such as locating utility facilities on existing rights-of-way of railroads or other entities, military bases, federal lands, Native American reservations, lands controlled by a port authority, or other governmental agency), or (b) not necessary (such as locating facilities necessary for requested service to a site).
012. General Rules | Covered PDF Page 42
For all particulars not specified, but within the scope of these rules, as stated in Rule 011A, design, construction, operation, and maintenance should be done in accordance with accepted good practice for the given local conditions known at the time by those responsible for the communication or supply lines and equipment
General purpose clause could use some work since no definition of “accepted good practice”. Refer to IEEE bibliography.
Section 2: Definition of special terms | PDF Page 46
Recommendations elsewhere should track here.
The word “installation” appears 256 times and is generally understood in context by experts. Suggest borrow from NEC to clarify our concern for including co-linear/communication circuits.
conduit. exclusive control, lines, photovoltaic, NEC interactive. qualified
Section 3: Reference
NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®). [Rules 011B4 NOTE, 099C NOTE 1, and 127
IEEE Std 4™-1995, IEEE Standard Techniques for High-Voltage Testing. [Table 410-2 and Table 410-3]
IEEE Std 516™-2009, IEEE Guide for Maintenance Methods on Energized Power-Lines. [Rules 441A4
NOTE 2, 446B1, and 446D3 NOTE, and Table 441-5, Footnote 4]
IEEE Std 1427™-2006, IEEE Guide for Recommended Electrical Clearances and Insulation Levels in
Air-Insulated Electrical Power Substations. [Rule 124A1 NOTE, Table 124-1, 176 NOTE, and 177 NOTE]
IEEE Std 1584™-2002, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations. [Table 410-1,
Footnotes 1, 3, 6, and 14]
IEEE Std C62.82.1™-2010, IEEE Standard for Insulation Coordination—Definitions, Principles, and Rules.
[Table 124-1 Footnote 5]
Add references to Gold Book, 1386, etc. IEC since multinationals conform.
Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | PDF Page 111
Has anyone confirmed that these tables match NEC Table 495.24 lately? If it helps: there were no meaningful changes in the 2023 NEC in Article 495, the high voltage article
Section 11. Protective arrangements in electric supply stations | PDF Page 77
A safety sign shall be displayed on or beside the door or gate at each entrance. For fenced or walled electric supply stations without roofs, a safety sign shall be displayed on each exterior side of the fenced or wall enclosure. Where the station is entirely enclosed by walls and roof, a safety sign is required only at ground level entrances. Where entrance is gained through sequential doors, the safety sign should be located at the inner door position. (A clarification but no change. See Standards Michigan 2017 proposals)
Recommend that all oil-filled cans be removed and services upgraded through energy regulations with new kVA ratings
Section 12: Installation and maintenance of equipment
093. Grounding conductor and means of connection
Fences The grounding conductor for fences required to be effectively grounded by other parts of this Code shall meet the requirements of Rule 093C5 or shall be steel wire not smaller than Stl WG No. 5.
D. Guarding and protection | PDF Page 67
124. Guarding live parts| PDF Page 85
Propose roofs required for exterior installations
Part 2. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | Page 72
Section 22. Relations between various classes of lines and equipment | Page 80
222. Joint use of structures | Page 82
Where the practice of joint use is mutually agreed upon by the affected utilities, facilities shall be subject to the appropriate grade of construction specified in Section 24. Joint use of structures should be
considered for circuits along highways, roads, streets, and alleys. The choice between joint use of structures and separate lines shall be determined through cooperative consideration with other joint
users of all the factors involved, including the character of circuits, worker safety, the total number and weight of conductors, tree conditions, number and location of branches and service drops, structure
conflicts, availability of right-of-way, etc.
Reliability considerations for sustaining internet service when power supply is absent.
Par2 Section 20 Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | PDF Page 111
Has anyone confirmed that these tables match NEC Table 495.24 lately?
Part 3. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply and Communication Lines | Page 220
Renewable energy for internet access
311. Installation and maintenance
A. Persons responsible for underground facilities shall be able to indicate the location of their facilities.
B. Reasonable advance notice should be given to owners or operators of other proximate facilities that
may be adversely affected by new construction or changes in existing facilities.
C. For emergency installations, supply and communication cables may be laid directly on grade if the
cables do not unreasonably obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic and either:
1. The cables are covered, enclosed, or otherwise protected, or
2. The locations of the cables are conspicuous.
Supply cables operating above 600 V shall meet either Rule 230C or 350B.
NOTE: See Rules 014B2 and 230A2d.
Part 4. Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply and Communications Lines and Equipment | PDF Page 289
When and why was the term “Work” added to the title of this section?
Core text for the definition of wireless communication system reliability
Appendix E Bibliography| PDF Page 355
Index | PDF Page 398
The word “reliability” appears only three times. Should it track in the NESC or should it track in individual state requirements. So neither the NEC nor the NESC couples closely with power and communication reliability; despite the enormity and speed of research.
New update alert! The 2022 update to the Trademark Assignment Dataset is now available online. Find 1.29 million trademark assignments, involving 2.28 million unique trademark properties issued by the USPTO between March 1952 and January 2023: https://t.co/njrDAbSpwBpic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
