Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

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Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

September 10, 2025
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Standards Wyoming

 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound beef stewing meat trimmed and cut into inch cubes
  • 5 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 3 1/2 cups beef broth homemade or low-sodium canned
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
  • 5 medium carrots peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 2 large baking potatoes peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Instructions

  • Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds.

  • Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches.

  • Wash the counter and utensils that touched the raw meat. Wash hands with soap and water after handling raw meat.

  • Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.

  • Cover the pot and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

  • While the beef is cooking, scrub the onion, carrots, and potatoes with a clean vegetable brush under cold running water. Prepare vegetables as directed in the ingredients.

  • Add the onions and carrots to the pot and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Serve immediately.

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Wyoming

Zoning

September 10, 2025
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2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code

International Code Council: 2024 Group A Proposed Changes 

ISO 37101 Sustainable development in communities

“The Architect’s Dream” 1840 Thomas Cole

Today we examine the catalog of several ANSI-accredited, consortia and ad hoc standard developers with titles relevant to the planning, construction and management of the built environment of education communities nested within human settlements characterized by a high population density, extensive infrastructure, and various economic, social, and cultural activities.  In other words, from the point of view of a campus as a “city within a city” with attention to infrastructure.

College town zoning regulations

Several organizations and bodies in the United States that develop model codes and standards related to zoning and land use. These model codes and standards are often adopted or referenced by municipalities in their zoning ordinances. Here are some prominent organizations and their model codes:

American Institute of Architects

AIA Handbook of Professional Practice 15th Edition

American Planning Association

Zoning Practice Manual

American Society of Civil Engineers

Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures

American Society of Landscape Architects

Sustainable Sites Initiative Rating System

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

2028 National Electrical Safety Code

Optimization of Transmission Line Right-of-Way

Reducing the duration of right-of-way acquisition process for high voltage transmission power lines projects

Diminishing the Right of Way (RoW) With Multi Voltage Multi Terminal Transmission Tower

Information System for the Vegetation Control of Transmission Lines Right-of-way

Partially underground transmission circuits: safety issue for current and future power systems

International Code Council

International Zoning Code

International Standardization Organization

Sustainable cities & communities

National Fire Protection Association

Code ignis MMXXVII

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Technical Requirements for Weighing & Measuring Devices

Each of the foregoing titles have some bearing upon decisions about land use.  However, keep in mind, that zoning regulations are primarily established at the local level by municipalities, cities, and counties, rather than through national standard bodes. These organizations and their codes provide guidance and best practices for zoning, but specific regulations can vary significantly between different jurisdictions.  They are frequently incorporated by reference into regulations by governments at all levels.

Join us today with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.


Here are some community colleges in the United States that are embedded within cities, offering students the advantages of an urban setting:

  1. City College of San Francisco – San Francisco, California
  2. Los Angeles City College – Los Angeles, California
  3. Borough of Manhattan Community College – New York, New York
  4. Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus – Miami, Florida
  5. City College of Chicago  – Chicago, Illinois
  6. Seattle Central College – Seattle, Washington
  7. Austin Community College – Rio Grande Campus – Austin, Texas
  8. Houston Community College – Central Campus – Houston, Texas
  9. San Antonio College – San Antonio, Texas
  10. Portland Community College – Cascade Campus – Portland, Oregon
  11. Washtenaw Community College – Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti, Michigan

These community colleges not only provide access to higher education but also offer the benefits of being located within major urban centers, including proximity to job markets, cultural institutions, and public transportation.

Top Deck View

September 10, 2025
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Grand Pump Room

University of Bath: Department of Estates

BSI Group Standards Catalog

BSI Group Standards Catalog

*After the Roman period, Bath remained a small town until the 18th century, when it became a fashionable spa destination for the wealthy. The architect John Wood the Elder designed much of the city’s Georgian architecture, including the famous Royal Crescent and the Circus. Bath also played an important role in the English literary scene, as several famous authors, including Jane Austen, lived and wrote in the city.   During the 19th century, Bath’s popularity declined as other spa towns became fashionable. In the 20th century, the city experienced significant redevelopment and preservation efforts, including the restoration of its Roman baths and the construction of a new spa complex.

Today, Bath is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a popular tourist destination known for its historical and cultural significance.

Geomatics

September 10, 2025
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“Midvinterblot” | Carl Larsson (1853-1919)

The Swedish Standards Institute for Standards is the Global Secretariat for ISO TC/211 which leads standardization in the field of digital geographic information.  Standardization titles developed by this committee aims to establish a structured set of standards for information concerning objects or phenomena that are directly or indirectly associated with a location relative to the Earth.   These standards may specify, for geographic information, methods, tools and services for data management (including definition and description), acquiring, processing, analyzing, accessing, presenting and transferring such data in digital / electronic form between different users, systems and locations.

Strategic Business Plan

 

 

The United States Technical Advisory Group Administrator on behalf of ANSI is the InterNational Committee for Information Technology StandardsCLICK HERE for more information.

We maintain all ISO projects on the standing agenda of our Global and ICT colloquia which are open to everyone.  You may communicate with Jennifer Garner (jgarner@itic.org) if you wish to participate in standards-setting activity from the United States point of view.   Keep in mind that our network of education communities outside the United States is significant and long-standing.

Issue: [16-141]

Category: Global, Information & Communications Technology

Colleagues: Mike Anthony, Jim Harvey, Jack Janveja, Richard Robben

https://youtu.be/mfqdi7fSHtM?si=X410PDsIHnGZyHgr

Quadrivium: Summer

September 10, 2025
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Kansas State University: Sunflower Genetic Research

Mike Anthony with colleagues since 1982 @ UM Ross School of Business Executive Dining Room

Trending | Engagements, Weddings & Births | Sport News | Carillons

Lionel Shriver: We Need to Talk About Boomers

Stephen Kotkin (Hoover Institution): Why Are Intellectuals So Attracted to Marxism? 

Dark Academia Things To Do

MORE

Radio Free Campus: Liberal Education on Life Support

Syllabus Week 37 | September 8-14

Retrodiction

“Demeter Thesmophoros” Jean-Léon Gérôme

“…O chestnut tree;, great rooted blossomer,
Are you the leaf, the blossom or the bold?
O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know the dancer from the dance?”

Among Schoolchildren, 1933 William Butler Yeats

We sweep through the world’s three major time zones; updating our understanding of the literature at the technical foundation of education community safety and sustainability in those time zones 24 times per day. We generally eschew “over-coding” web pages to sustain speed, revision cadence and richness of content as peak priority.  We do not provide a search facility because of copyrights of publishers and time sensitivity of almost everything we do.

Readings:

“The Advancement of Learning” Francis Bacon (1605)

“The Allegory of the Cave” 380 BCE | Plato’s Republic, Book VII

Thucydides: Pericles’ Funeral Oration

IEEE Access: Advanced Deep Learning Models for 6G: Overview, Opportunities, and Challenges | Xidian University

“Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination” (2002) Peter Ackroyd

“Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” Satoshi Nakamoto

“Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds” (1841) | Charles Mackay

Cognitive Science: An Introduction to the Study of Mind

“Kant’s Categorical Imperative” | Hillsdale College Introduction to Western Philosophy

“The Natural History of Stupidity” (1959) Paul Tabori

“The College Idea: Andrew Delbanco” Lapham’s Quarterly

Distributed Representations of Words and Phrases and their Compositionality | Google, Inc. et, al

Our daily colloquia are typically doing sessions; with non-USA titles receiving priority until 16:00 UTC and all other titles thereafter.  We assume policy objectives are established (Safer-Simpler-Lower-Cost, Longer-Lasting).   Because we necessarily get into the weeds, and because much of the content is time-sensitive and copyright protected, we usually schedule a separate time slot to hammer on technical specifics so that our response to consultations are meaningful and contribute to the goals of the standards developing organization and to the goals of stewards of education community real assets — typically the largest real asset owned by any US state and about 50 percent of its annual budget.

1. Leviathan.  We track noteworthy legislative proposals in the United States 118th Congress.  Not many deal specifically with education community real assets since the relevant legislation is already under administrative control of various Executive Branch Departments such as the Department of Education.

We do not advocate in legislative activity at any level.   We respond to public consultations but there it ends.

We track federal legislative action because it provides a stroboscopic view of the moment — the “national conversation”– in communities that are simultaneously a business and a culture.  Even though more than 90 percent of such proposals are at the mercy of the party leadership the process does enlighten the strengths and weakness of a governance system run entirely through the counties on the periphery of Washington D.C.  It is impossible to solve technical problems in facilities without sensitivity to the zietgeist that has accelerated in education communities everywhere.

Michigan can 100% water and feed itself.  Agriculture is its second-largest industry.

2National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

3. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)

4. Fast Forward  

The Year Ahead 2025

5. Rewind

Retrodiction

Lights Out

6. Corrigenda

 

“The world will never starve for want of wonders;

but only for want of wonder.”

–  G.K Chesterton, The Spirit of Christmas (1905)

Land Measurement

September 10, 2025
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In the United States, land surveying is regulated by various professional organizations and government agencies, and there are several technical standards that must be followed to ensure accuracy and consistency in land surveying.

The best practice for land surveying is set by the “Manual of Surveying Instructions” published by an administrative division of the United States Department of the Interior responsible for managing public lands in the United States. The manual provides detailed guidance on the procedures and techniques for conducting various types of land surveys, including public land surveys, mineral surveys, and cadastral surveys.

George Washington, Surveyor of Western Virginia

Manual of Surveying Instructions

Another important set of model standards for land surveying is the Minimum Standards for Property Boundary Surveys* published by the National Society of Professional Surveyors. These standards provide guidance on the procedures and techniques for conducting property boundary surveys, including the use of appropriate surveying equipment, the preparation of surveying maps and plats, and the documentation of surveying results.   Land surveyors in the United States are also required to adhere to state and local laws and regulations governing land surveying, as well as ethical standards established by professional organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers.


* Local variants

California: Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys

Michigan: Minimum Standard Detail Requirements for ALTA/NSPS Land Title Surveys

 

The Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 granted each state 30,000 acres of federal land for each member of Congress from that state to establish colleges that would teach agriculture, engineering, and military tactics. This legislation led to the establishment of many public universities, including the Texas A&M University, the University of Wisconsin and Michigan State University.

International Zoning Code

International Zoning Code

September 10, 2025
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2025 Group B Proposed Changes to IZC | Complete Monograph for Changes to I-Codes (2630 pages)

National Association of County Engineers

The purpose of the code is to establish minimum requirements to provide a reasonable level of health, safety, property protection and welfare by controlling the design, location, use or occupancy of all buildings and structures through the regulated and orderly development of land and land uses within this jurisdiction.

CLICK IMAGE

Municipalities usually have specific land use or zoning considerations to accommodate the unique needs and characteristics of college towns:

  1. Mixed-Use Zoning: Cities with colleges and universities often employ mixed-use zoning strategies to encourage a vibrant and diverse urban environment. This zoning approach allows for a combination of residential, commercial, and institutional uses within the same area, fostering a sense of community and facilitating interactions between students, faculty, and residents.
  2. Height and Density Restrictions: Due to the presence of educational institutions, cities may have specific regulations on building height and density to ensure compatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods and maintain the character of the area. These restrictions help balance the need for development with the preservation of the existing urban fabric.
  3. Student Housing: Cities with colleges and universities may have regulations or guidelines for student housing to ensure an adequate supply of affordable and safe accommodations for students. This can
    include requirements for minimum bedroom sizes, occupancy limits, and proximity to campus.
  4. Parking and Transportation: Given the concentration of students, faculty, and staff, parking and transportation considerations are crucial. Cities may require educational institutions to provide parking facilities or implement transportation demand management strategies, such as promoting public transit use, cycling infrastructure, and pedestrian-friendly designs.
  5. Community Engagement: Some cities encourage colleges and universities to engage with the local community through formalized agreements or community benefit plans. These may include commitments to support local businesses, contribute to neighborhood improvement projects, or provide educational and cultural resources to residents.

This is a relatively new title in the International Code Council catalog; revised every three years in the Group B tranche of titles.  Search on character strings such as “zoning” in the link below reveals the ideas that ran through the current revision:

Complete Monograph: 2022 Proposed Changes to Group B I-Codes (1971 pages)

We maintain it on our periodic I-Codes colloquia, open to everyone.  Proposals for the 2026 revision will be received until January 10, 2025.

2024/2025/2026 ICC CODE DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE

We maintain it on our periodic I-Codes colloquia, open to everyone with the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

The City Rises (La città che sale) | 1910 Umberto Boccioni


Related:

Signs, Signs, Signs

  1. Reed v. Town of Gilbert (2015): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to the town of Gilbert, Arizona’s sign code, which regulated the size, location, and duration of signs based on their content. The court held that the sign code was a content-based restriction on speech and therefore subject to strict scrutiny.
  2. City of Ladue v. Gilleo (1994): In this Supreme Court case, the court struck down a municipal ordinance that banned the display of signs on residential property, except for signs that fell within specific exemptions. The court held that the ban was an unconstitutional restriction on the freedom of speech.
  3. Metromedia, Inc. v. San Diego (1981): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a San Diego ordinance that banned off-premises advertising signs while allowing on-premises signs. The court held that the ordinance was an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, as it discriminated against certain types of speech.
  4. City of Ladue v. Center for the Study of Responsive Law, Inc. (1980): In this Supreme Court case, the court upheld a municipal ordinance that prohibited the display of signs on public property, but only if the signs were posted for longer than 10 days. The court held that the ordinance was a valid time, place, and manner restriction on speech.
  5. City of Boerne v. Flores (1997): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a municipal sign code that regulated the size, location, and content of signs in the city. The court held that the sign code violated the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, as it burdened the exercise of religion without a compelling government interest.

 

Current Issues and Recent Research

September 10, 2025
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“If you want to find the secrets of the universe,

think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.”

—  Nikola Tesla

​​

IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section Welcome August 2024

 

 

IEEE & SWE Student Tour of Michigan Stadium Scoreboard | April 2024

IEEE SEM Student Activity

Trending

 IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee August 19  Ω Electrical Power System Research

NFPA Electrical Standards Landing Page  Ω NFPA Standards Council  Ω NFPA Fire Safety Landing Page

NEW: ASHRAE Landing Page

Draft IEEE Paper AbstractsMike Anthony Short Biography | Electrical Industrial Conglomerates

We examine the proposals for the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code; including our own. The 2026 National Electrical Code where sit on CMP-15 overseeing health care facility electrical issues should be released any day now. We have one proposal on the agenda of the International Code Council’s Group B Committee Action Hearings in Cleveland in October. Balloting on the next IEEE Gold Book on reliability should begin.

“Tomorrow’s Girls” | Donald Fagan

Policy:

Department of Energy Portfolio Analysis & Management System

Department of Energy Building Technologies Office

FERC Open Meetings | (Note that these ~60 minute sessions meet Sunshine Act requirements.  Our interest lies one or two levels deeper into the technicals underlying the administrivia)

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Federal Communication Commission Michigan Public Service Commission
August 7 Open Meeting
July 24 Open Meeting July 25 Open Meeting
June 16 Open Meeting January 22: Newly Appointed FCC Chairman Announces Staff Changes June  12 Open Meeting
May 15 Open Meeting May 15 Open Meeting
April 17 Open Meeting April 24 Open Meeting
March 20 Open Meeting
February 20 FERC Open Meeting March 3 Open Meeting
January 16 FERC Press Conference February 27, 2025 Open Meeting

January 23: NARUC Congratulates New FERC, FCC and NRC Chairs

January 22: Newly Appointed FCC Chairman Announces Staff Changes | Related: Falsus in uno, Falsus in omnibus

January 6: City of Ann Arbor Postpones Phase II Study to Municipalize DTE Energy distribution grid

January 27, 10 AM Low-Income Energy Policy Board Meeting: Michigan Public Service commission

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: January 16, 2025 Open Meeting

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Notice of Request for Comments (Posted November 25, 2024)

Interregional Transfer Capability Study: Strengthening Reliability Through the Energy Transformation Docket No. AD25-4-000

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | November 21, Open Meeting

Press Conference

Michigan Public Service Commission Meetings

Michigan Public Commission Meeting  February 27, 2025

MPSC DTE CMS Electric Power Reliability Case No. U-21305

Michigan Electrical Administrative Board Meeting February 13, 2025

FCC Open Meeting | November 21 

[Mike Anthony Opinion] on the gales of innuendo against limited federal government voices in federally financed National Public Radio

National Infrastructure Advisory Council: Addressing the Critical Shortage of Power Transformers to Ensure Reliability of the U.S. Grid

H.R. 9603 (September 16): To amend the Federal Power Act to prohibit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from issuing permits for the construction or modification of electric transmission facilities in a State over the objection of the State, and for other purposes.

Technical: (Also Electrical Power System Research)

Empower Pre-Trained Large Language Models for Building-Level Load Forecasting

Uptime Institute (via NEXT DC) : AI Inference in the Data Center

Majorana Nanowires for Topological Quantum Computing

Linearized Data Center Workload and Cooling Management

Lex Fridman: DeepSeek, China, OpenAI, NVIDIA, xAI, TSMC, Stargate, and AI Megaclusters 

IEEE: Experts Weigh in on $500B Stargate Project for AI

IEEE: AI Mistakes Are Very Different Than Human Mistakes .  We need new security systems designed to deal with their weirdness

High-Performance Tensor Learning Primitives Using GPU Tensor Cores

Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York

Causes and Consequences of Widespread Power Blackout Across Taiwan on 3 March 2022: A Blackout Incident Investigation in the Taiwan Power System

Department of Electrical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei City, Taiwan

 

First Draft Proposals contain most of our proposals — and most new (original) content.  We will keep the transcripts linked below but will migrate them to a new page starting 2025:

Electrical Safety

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-1

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-2

Public Input Report CMP-3

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-4

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-5

Public Input Report CMP-6

Public Input Report CMP-7

Public Input Report CMP-8

Public Input Report CMP-9

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-10

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-11

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-12

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-13

Public Input Report CMP-14

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-15

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-16

Public Input Report CMP-17

2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-18

Related:

2026 National Electrical Code

N.B. We are in the process of migrating electric power system research to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers bibliographic format. 


Recap of the May meetings of the  Industrial & Commercial Power Systems Conference in Las Vegas.  The conference ended the day before the beginning of the 3-day Memorial Day weekend in the United States so we’re pressed for time; given all that happened.

We can use our last meeting’s agenda to refresh the status of the issues.

IEEE E&H Draft Agenda 28 May 2024

On site conference agenda:

IEEE E&H Conference Agenda 21 May 2024

NESC & NEC Cross-Code Correlation

We typically break down our discussion into the topics listed below:

Codes & Standards:

While IAS/I&CPS has directed votes on the NEC; Mike is the only I&CPS member who is actually submitting proposals and responses to codes and standards developers to the more dominant SDO’s — International Code Council, ASHRAE International, UL, ASTM International, IEC & ISO.  Mike maintains his offer to train the next generation of “code writers and vote getters”

Performance-based building premises feeder design has been proposed for the better part of ten NEC revision cycles.  The objective of these proposals is to reduce material, labor and energy waste owed to the branch and feeder sizing rules that are prescriptive in Articles 210-235.  Our work in service and lighting branch circuit design has been largely successful.  A great deal of building interior power chain involves feeders — the network upstream from branch circuit panels but down stream from building service panel.

Our history of advocating for developing this approach, inspired by the NFPA 101 Guide to Alternative Approaches to Life Safety, and recounted in recent proposals for installing performance-based electrical feeder design into the International Building Code, appears in the link below:

Access to this draft paper for presentation at any conference that will receive it — NFPA, ICC or IEEE (or even ASHRAE) will be available for review at the link below:

Toward Performance-Based Building Premise Feeder Design

 

NFPA 110 Definitions of Public Utility v. Merchant Utility

NFPA 72 “Definition of Dormitory Suite” and related proposals

Buildings:

Renovation economics, Smart contracts in electrical construction.  UMich leadership in aluminum wiring statements in the NEC should be used to reduce wiring costs.

Copper can’t be mined fast enough to electrify the United States

Daleep asked Mike to do a Case Study session on the NEC lighting power density change (NEC 220-14) for the IAS Annual Meeting in October.  Mike agreed.

Exterior Campus & Distribution:

Illumination.  Gary Fox reported that IEEE 3001.9 was endorsed as an ANSI accredited standard for illumination systems.

2024-ICPSD24-0012 PERMANENT DESIGN OF POWER SYSTEMS Parise

This paper details primary considerations in estimating the life cycle of a campus medium voltage distribution grid.   Some colleges and universities are selling their entire power grid to private companies.  Mike has been following these transactions but cannot do it alone.

Variable Architecture Multi-Island Microgrids

District energy:

Generator stator winding failures and implications upon insurance premiums.  David Shipp and Sergio Panetta.  Mike suggests more coverage of retro-fit and lapsed life cycle technicals for insurance companies setting premiums.

Reliability:

Bob Arno’s leadership in updating the Gold Book.

Mike will expand the sample set in Table 10-35, page 293 from the <75 data points in the 1975 survey to >1000 data points.   Bob will set up meeting with Peyton at US Army Corps of Engineers.

Reliability of merchant utility distribution systems remains pretty much a local matter.  The 2023 Edition of the NESC shows modest improvement in the vocabulary of reliability concepts.  For the 2028 Edition Mike submitted several proposals to at least reference IEEE titles in the distribution reliability domain.   It seems odd (at least to Mike) that the NESC committees do not even reference IEEE technical literature such as Bob’s Gold Book which has been active for decades.  Mike will continue to propose changes in other standards catalogs — such as ASTM, ASHRAE and ICC — which may be more responsive to best practice assertions.  Ultimately, improvements will require state public utility commission regulations — and we support increases in tariffs so that utilities can afford these improvements.

Mike needs help from IEEE Piscataway on standard WordPress theme limitations for the data collection platform.

Mike will update the campus power outage database.

Healthcare:

Giuseppe Parise’s recent work in Italian power grid to its hospitals, given its elevated earthquake risk.  Mike’s review of Giuseppe’s paper:

Harvard Business School: Journal of Healthcare Management Standards

Mike and David Shipp will prepare a position paper for the Harvard Healthcare Management Journal on reliability advantages of impedance grounding for the larger systems.

The Internet of Bodies

Forensics:

Giuseppe’s session was noteworthy for illuminating the similarity and differences between the Italian and US legal system in handling electrotechnology issues.

Mike will restock the committee’s library of lawsuits transactions.

Ports:

Giuseppe updates on the energy and security issues of international ports.  Mike limits his time in this committee even though the State of Michigan has the most fresh water international ports in the world.

A PROPOSED GUIDE FOR THE ENERGY PLAN AND ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE OF A PORT

Other:

Proposals to the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code: Accepted Best Practice, exterior switchgear guarding, scope expansion into ICC and ASHRAE catalog,

Apparently both the Dot Standards and the Color Books will continue parallel development.  Only the Gold Book is being updated; led by Bob Arno.  Mike admitted confusion but reminded everyone that any references to IEEE best practice literature in the NFPA catalog, was installed Mike himself (who would like some backup help)

Universities with Quantum Computing Facilities

Papers in Process:

Impedance Grounding Papers 1 and 2 with David Shipp.  Previous Discussion:

https://ieeetv.ieee.org/channels/ieee-region-events/uc-berkeley-s-medium-voltage-grounding-system

Over Coffee and Beers:

Mike assured Christel Hunter (General Cable) that his proposals for reducing the 180 VA per-outlet requirements, and the performance-base design allowance for building interior feeders do not violate the results of the Neher-McGrath calculation used for conductor sizing.  All insulation and conducting material thermal limits are unaffected.

Other informal discussions centered on the rising cost of copper wiring and the implications for the global electrotechnical transformation involving the build out of quantum computing and autonomous vehicles.  Few expressed optimism that government ambitions for the same could be met in any practical way.

Are students avoiding use of Chat GPT for energy conservation reasons?  Mike will be breaking out this topic for a dedicated standards inquiry session:

GPT Power Grid

Education & Healthcare Facility Electrotechnology Committee

Workspace IEEE 1366: Guide for Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices

Largest U.S. Electric Utility Companies Ranked by Generation Capacity  For IEEE 493 update we seek outage data from the 100 largest campus power system experts.

Americas Infrastructure Report Card

September 10, 2025
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ASCE Standards Catalog | Standards Open for Public Comment

Electrical Energy Storage

September 9, 2025
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Electrical storage system resides at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Vail Access Project

Today at 15:00 UTC we refresh our understanding of stabilized technical standards for electrical energy storage systems (ESS) for industrial and commercial applications.  Adhering to these standards ensures ESS reliability, protects personnel, and supports the growing adoption of energy storage in industrial and commercial settings.

Ω NFPA 855 – Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems: This U.S.-based standard provides comprehensive guidelines for ESS installations, focusing on safety for lithium-ion, flow, and other battery technologies. It covers system siting, fire protection, ventilation, and thermal management. NFPA 855 mandates minimum clearances from buildings and exposures, requires fire detection and suppression systems (e.g., sprinklers or gas-based systems), and specifies exhaust systems to manage off-gassing risks. It also addresses commissioning, maintenance, and decommissioning to prevent hazards like thermal runaway.

Ω NEC (NFPA 70) – National Electrical Code, Article 706: Article 706 of the NEC governs ESS electrical design, emphasizing safe integration with power systems. It requires proper grounding, overcurrent protection, and disconnecting means for battery systems. The standard specifies wiring methods, labeling for hazard awareness, and compatibility with grid interconnection. For commercial and industrial ESS, it mandates compliance with voltage and capacity limits, ensuring systems are designed to handle high-power demands safely. 2026 CMP-16 Public Input Report2026 CMP-16 Second Draft Report

Ω UL 9540 – Standard for Energy Storage Systems and Equipment: UL 9540 certifies the safety of ESS, including battery packs, inverters, and control systems. It requires systems to undergo rigorous testing for electrical safety, fire resistance, and thermal runaway prevention. For large-scale commercial installations, UL 9540A, a test method for evaluating thermal runaway fire propagation, is critical to ensure systems can contain or mitigate fire risks. Compliance is often required for local code approvals.

Ω IEEE 1547 – Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems: For ESS connected to utility grids, IEEE 1547 specifies requirements for interconnection, including power quality, voltage regulation, and anti-islanding protection. It ensures ESS can safely operate in parallel with the grid, providing ancillary services like frequency regulation or peak shaving without compromising grid stability.

Ω Local Building and Fire Codes: Beyond national and international standards, local jurisdictions — such as college town sustainability initiatives — often enforce additional requirements. Apart from the primary goal of saving energy specific design and construction requirements may apply.  These may include specific setback distances, fire-rated enclosures, or emergency response plans tailored to the facility’s size and location. City of Ann Arbor Construction & Building

Compliance with these standards involves collaboration among engineers, installers, and inspectors. Systems must be designed with robust BMS, cooling, and fire mitigation, constructed with high-quality materials, and regularly maintained to meet safety and performance expectations.

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Related, but not covered today:

Utility scale (high voltage) owned and operated by merchant utilities.

Ω IEC 62619 – Secondary Cells and Batteries Containing Alkaline or Other Non-Acid Electrolytes: This international standard focuses on the safety of lithium-ion batteries used in industrial ESS. It outlines requirements for cell and module testing, including electrical, mechanical, and environmental stress tests to prevent failures like short circuits or fires. IEC 62619 also specifies battery management system (BMS) requirements to monitor voltage, temperature, and state-of-charge, ensuring operational stability.

Ω IEC 62485-2 – Safety Requirements for Secondary Batteries and Battery Installations: This standard applies to stationary battery systems, addressing electrical safety, installation practices, and maintenance. It emphasizes protection against electric shock, overcurrent, and short-circuit risks, requiring robust insulation and fault detection systems.

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