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Ask a Professor: Pumpkin Spiced Latte

October 29, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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WASHINGTON D.C. WEATHER
https://standardsmichigan.com/136343-2/

Eduardo Peñalver Inaugurated as Georgetown’s 49th President

Strategic Plan 2027-2032

Georgetown University 2024 Financial Statement: Net Position $6.046B

Readings: Self-Reliance, et. al

“City of Washington from Beyond the Navy Yard” 1833 | George Cooke

District of Columbia Municipal Regulations


Planning & Facilities Management

Standards October: Harvest

Related:

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pathways 100

October 29, 2026
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Today we break down the literature for exterior and interior pathways in education communities.   We limit the term “pathway” to refer to human pathways (as in egress and ingress paths); not wiring or piping pathways.   Maximum distance of travel from within a building and along an egress path toward safety is a core topic in building safety literature.  Starting 2023 we will break down coverage of subject catalogs and bibliographies:

Pathways 100: Survey of all titles for both the exterior and interior environments

Pathways 200: Review of codes, standards and guidelines for building interiors

Related recent research:

Hallways and stairways lighting system cost reduction

The research on circadian rhythm parameters testing of lighting quality in classrooms

Research and discussion on classroom blackboard lighting

Pathways 300: Review of codes, standards and guidelines campus environment outside the buildings; all seasons

Pathways 500: Review of noteworthy litigation.   Campus pathways are rich in possibilities for legal actions so we will refresh our understanding of the landmark decisions.

This breakdown is “somewhat” inspired by recent action by ASHRAE International to expand the scope of ASHRAE 90.1 to heating and cooling environments outside buildings.   The new title of ASHRAE 901. includes the word “Site”, which is another way of saying “the world” outside buildings.   Standards Michigan commented on the consequences of doing this in the proposal stages in 2020-2021.

The topic involves titles from many standards setting organizations; among them:

American National Standards Institute

C136-series for street lighting

International Code Council (accessible and useable ingress and egress entrances, paths and exits)

International Building Code: Chapter 10 Means of Egress

ICC A117 Accessibility Meeting Agenda December 15 2022 (Pathways)

ICC A117.1 2023 Meeting Calendar Accessible and Useable Buildings

Modifications for A117.1 12-1-2022 meeting

A117.1 11-17-2022 Agenda 20

A117.1 7-28-2022 Minutes 12

IFC §909.21.6 Proposal FS118-21 Pressurization systems for elevator pathways (now being discussed during the ICC Group A Committee Action Hearings in September)

American Society of Civil Engineers (roads, sidewalks)

American Society of Mechanical Engineers

ASME A17.1-2019: Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators

Elevators & Lifts

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (wayfinding along unofficial footpaths using the internet of small things)

Education & Healthcare Facility Electrotechnology

A BIM-Based Coordination Support System for Emergency Response

Computer Vision Method in Means of Egress Obstruction Detection

Recommended Practice for the Design of Power Systems Supplying Lighting Systems in Commercial and Industrial Facilities

Wayfinding: Current Research

 

National Electrical Manufacturers Association

National Fire Protection Association (fire protection for interior premises, fire truck routes, electric signage, security)

2021 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code

Chapter 3 Means of Egress

Chapter 12-13 Assembly Occupancies

Chapter 14-15 Educational Occupancies

Chapter 18-19 Health Care Occupancies

2022 Standard for Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Chapter 5 – Emergency Power Supply: Energy Sources, Converters and Accessories

ASTM International Committee C09 on Concrete and Concrete Aggregates

Standard Terminology Relating to Concrete and Concrete Aggregates

…And about 20 others.

We might venture onto the minefield of sensitivities about signage: too much, too many, too big, too small?  There are signs everywhere in academia.

Many titles in the foregoing list are inspired by legal requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act administered by the US Department of Justice

As usual, we’ll only have time to identify the titles and concepts in motion and set up a separate markup session.   Open to everyone; use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Texas Tech

MORE:

International Building Code §3104 Pedestrian Walkways and Tunnels 

2023 National Electrical Code Article 420 — Luminaires, Lampholders, and Lamps

2023 National Electrical Code Article 600 – Electric Signs and Outline Lighting

2023 National Electrical Code Article 620 — Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators, Moving Walks, Lifts and Chairlifts

Bibliography

Shaping the Sidewalk Experience

The 8 Principles of Sidewalks

Federal Highway Administration University Course on Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

“The Via Appia: A Case Study in the Political Geography of Imperialism” Hannah Friedman.  This article, published in the Journal of Historical Geography in 2011, examines the Appian Way as a product of Roman imperialism and a reflection of Roman attitudes toward the landscape and its inhabitants. The author draws on both textual and archaeological evidence to explore the road’s impact on the regions it passed through.

“The Appian Way: The Road that Built the Roman Empire” by Richard Talbert – Cambridge University Press 2012.  A a comprehensive study of the Appian Way and its significance to the Roman Empire. The author draws on a wide range of archaeological and historical evidence to explore the road’s construction, use, and legacy.

 

 

Signs, Signs, Signs

October 29, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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…and Sign Pollution

Our first impression of a community is its visual environment, which is reflected from the pretty integration of the built and natural forms. Visual pollution is defined as the whole of irregular formations that are unattractive and affects people’s ability to enjoy or appreciate the view and vista.  Anything that interferes with the “pretty scenes” and other distortion may become a cause of visual pollution. With the rapid increase of population world widebuilding sector became the major source of visual pollution especially in the city center.

Join us today when we sweep through the surprisingly large catalog of titles devoted to signage.  We will borrow from our previous coverage of pathway standards.   Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.

Pathways 100

International students enrolling in U.S. colleges encounter Academic English — the formal register of lectures, textbooks, papers, and discussions. This variety often embeds assumptions that diverge sharply from the American Founding’s emphasis on limited government, individual liberty, natural rights, and skepticism of centralized authority.

The Founders designed a republic of enumerated powers, checks and balances, and federalism to restrain government and protect personal sovereignty. They viewed government as a necessary but dangerous servant. Deference was owed primarily to law and reason, not to elites or the state.

Modern university discourse, however, frequently frames issues through lenses that normalize expansive government. Terms like “equity,” “systemic oppression,” “social justice,” “sustainability,” and “public good” recur in required writing, readings, and class analysis. These presuppose that societal problems demand coordinated state or institutional intervention and expert guidance.

International students, often writing in a second language, must master not only grammar but also these rhetorical conventions to succeed. Essays commonly reward framing arguments around collective victimhood, institutional reform, or government solutions, while skepticism of authority or defense of limited government can be marked down.

This creates subtle acculturation. Students absorb a version of English that subtly legitimizes big government as moral progress — contrasting the Founding’s core warning: unchecked power threatens liberty. Proficiency thus includes ideological fluency in progressive norms dominant in humanities and social sciences.

In short, many international graduates internalize habits of thought prioritizing collective authority and equity over the Founders’ individualism and restraint — shaping future global elites away from the Republic’s original limited-government ethos.

 

Noteworthy court cases involving signage on colleges and universities:

  1. Widmar v. Vincent (1981): In this Supreme Court case, the court held that public universities cannot discriminate against student groups based on their religious or political beliefs, including the display of signs or other expressive activities.
  2. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a school district’s ban on wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The court held that students have a First Amendment right to express their views through symbols and signs, as long as it does not disrupt the educational environment.
  3. Healy v. James (1972): In this Supreme Court case, the court held that colleges and universities cannot impose a prior restraint on student speech, including the display of signs, unless there is a clear and present danger of imminent violence or disruption.
  4. Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia (1995): In this Supreme Court case, the court held that public universities cannot discriminate against student groups based on their viewpoint, including the display of signs or other expressive activities.
  5. Texas v. Johnson (1989): This Supreme Court case involved a challenge to a Texas law that prohibited the desecration of the American flag. The court held that flag burning is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment, including on college and university campuses.

Court cases involving municipal signage:

  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.

Human Factors Using Elevators in Emergency Evacuation

October 29, 2026
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CLICK ON IMAGE

 

https://youtu.be/GC8Go9O8nUI?si=JzpvyyK0PQz_XNjZ

Quadrivium: Autumn

October 29, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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We are curating this post — which appears every day — thus its spareness.  Much of the content — dating back five years — will be archived.  We will roll out updates over the next few weeks.

As always, we are on line every day at 11 AM Eastern time for videoconferencing or telephone calls.

Ohio State University Pumpkin Research

OECD | Mobility, visas and the changing geography of the university

INC: When enrollment falls, costs don’t

Amazon (October 2): No more NDA’s and $1B into data center communities

October 1: University of Michigan × Los Alamos Research Computing Center “Town Hall”

ANSI Standards Action October 16, 2026 | Bulletin Board

 “All things on earth point home in old October”
Thomas Wolfe, Of Time and the River

§

Emmanuel College | Suffolk County Massachusetts

https://standardsmichigan.com/136343-2/


https://standardsmichigan.com/music-almanac-of-the-western-tradition-autumn/

Evergreen

 

Bulletin Board

October 29, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com
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FCC Environmental review of communications infrastructure | November 18

Relevant to our lament on campus antennas, towers, rooftop installations and permitting

Dimidia veritas, tota mendacium est

 

NIST RFI: Medical Metrology and Standards | November 30

NFPA 70 National Electrical Code | Modular Data Centers — Proposed TIA 1949  October 30

tFERC Cybersecurity Monitoring of Electric Infrastructure | Comments due December 14

Cornell Donor Revolt: No Confidence Vote on President

CUNY raises record $312 million

University of Minnesota plans $225 million reduction

Teachers’ Unions Face More Competition for Influence in School Board Elections

Foreign Gifts | Donor Privacy

Trump Account Proposed Regulations | October 20, 2026

University of Notre Dame: Teaching with the Columbus Murals

DOE — Bulk-Power System Security RFI | October 9

Massachusetts Fire Safety Advisory Meeting October 14

RFI: Electromagnetic Fields, Radiofrequency Radiation & Wireless Radiation Exposure | October 21

FERC Cybersecurity Monitoring of Electric Infrastructure | Comments due December 14

NIST SP 800-239 — AI Data Center Security Analysis | September 25

Public consultation on NERC computational-load standard open until September 18

NIST SP 800-209 Rev. 1 — Security Guidelines for Storage Infrastructure | September 8

NFPA 70 | TIA from AHRI on GFCI protection on HVAC equipment | September 6

“Labor omnia vicit improbus” (trans. ‘Steady, unyielding labor conquered all things’)

Georgics, Book I — Publius Vergilius Maro

Standards exist to sustain the ordinary rhythms of civilization.  Behind every meal, classroom, laboratory, concert, hospital, farm, playing field and family home stands a network of standards that quietly enables daily life. Our work is to understand, improve and explain those standards in service to the educational settlements they support. ANSI Standards Action



NIST | USPTO | ANSI | IEEE | ICC | ASTM | ASHRAE | UL | TIA | ASME | ASCE | AGA

Michigan Standards Developers : NSF | ACI | NETA | ASABE | HL7 | RIA | JCSEE | BIFMA | PJRFSI | SAE

Global: SA | BSA | NSAI | CSA | CEN & CENELEC | ISO & IEC*

 

APPA was founded at the University of Michigan| See our ABOUT

 

 

* ISO and IEC have opted out of the X-social media platforms.  FYI: X is 13 times the size of BlueSky in terms of scale and reach.

Mortuary Arts

October 29, 2026
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“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground;
for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

— Genesis 3:19 

“Marat Assassinated” | Jacques-Louis David 1793

There are several ANSI accredited standards that apply to mortuary science, particularly in the areas of forensic science and medicolegal death investigation. These standards are developed to ensure the highest levels of professionalism, quality, and consistency in the field. Here are some key standards:

  1. ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendations: The American National Standards Institute in collaboration with the American Academy of Forensic Sciences has developed various standards, including those related to the handling and processing of human remains. For example, the ANSI/ASB Best Practice Recommendation 094-2021 outlines procedures for postmortem friction ridge print recovery, emphasizing systematic approaches and legal compliance during the process​
    ANSI/ASB Standard 125-2021: This standard focuses on the general requirements for medicolegal death investigation systems. It covers infrastructure, personnel training, and competency requirements to ensure high-quality death investigations. It also references other professional guidelines and accreditation checklists from organizations such as the National Association of Medical Examiners and the International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners. 

These standards are integral to maintaining rigorous protocols and ethical practices within mortuary science and related fields. They help ensure that procedures are consistent, legally compliant, and respectful of the deceased, ultimately contributing to the reliability and credibility of forensic investigations. For more detailed information, you can refer to the ANSI and ASB standards documentation available through their respective organizations.

Related:

OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR 1910.1030)

Anatomical Donation

Virtual Gross Anatomy Lab

Standard for Interactions Between Medical Examiner, Coroner and Death Investigation Agencies

Current Issues & Recent Research

October 29, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena,

it will make more progress in one decade

than in all the previous centuries of existence.”

—  Nikola Tesla

 

Redefining Grid Interconnection for AI & Hyperscale Data Centers

Data Centers and Grid Impacts for State Regulators – 2026

IEEE P4200: Data Center Interconnection (Active PAR June 4, 2026)

MPSC Case U-21990 In the Matter of the Application of DTE Electric Company for Approval of Special Contracts

Restore NESC Cross-Reference to the Front End of the NEC

Electrical Power System Research

Large Language Models of Electric Power Sector

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

ASHRAE Landing Page |  ASTM Electrical & Electronics | IES Illumination

Draft IEEE Paper Abstracts | Mike Anthony Short Biography | Electrotechnology OEMS

 IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee Recent Meeting Minutes 

Michigan Stadium Scoreboard Tour | March 18

NEC & NESC Crosswalk

Ω

IEEE Southeastern Michigan Section Welcome August 2024

 

 

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

IEEE SEM Student Activity 2025

Trending

Electrical Power System Research

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

ASHRAE Landing Page |  ASTM Electrical & Electronics

Draft IEEE Paper Abstracts | Mike Anthony Short Biography | Electrotechnology OEMS

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:

OUTERNET: Crossing over data gap using cubesats

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

December 2025 Open Meeting

 December 18 Open Meeting December 5 Open Meeting
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

Oxford Researchers Discovered How to Use AI To Learn Like A Genius

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.

Halloween

October 29, 2026
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Hope College | Holland Michigan

Emmanuel College | Suffolk County Massachusetts

(上海体育学院

Halloween Safety Tips for Kids, Adults, and College Students

National Safety Council: Simple Steps for an Extra Safe Halloween

National Fire Protection Association: Halloween Safety Tips

Monster Culture

Vast and Innumerable Throngs of the Ancient Dead

Tax-Free Bonds

October 28, 2026
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Current Referenda | Ballotpedia

 

As the adage goes: “The cure for high prices, is high prices”. Today–ahead of the August primary elections in the United States (when bond referenda appear on ballots — we explore fiscal runaway with particular interest in the instruments that finance construction of the real assets. We recap what we have been doing for 30-odd years placing downward pressure on life-cycle cost.

Perspective:

    • The largest school bond referendum on ballots in November 2025 is the $1.4 billion package for Richardson Independent School District (ISD) in Texas.
    • University of Michigan’s 2025  $2 billion general revenue bonds
    • New York University’s 2025 $2.18 billion bonds through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York
    • The largest school bond referendum on ballots in November 2024 was Measure US for the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in California, totaling $9 billion.
    • In the November 2022 elections, a significant number of school bond referenda were presented to voters across the United States. For example, in Wisconsin alone, there were 57 successful capital referenda amounting to nearly $2.1 billion in authorized debt​ (Wisconsin Policy Forum)
    • In Texas, Central Texas schools had a total of $4.24 billion in bonds on the ballot, covering various propositions for school facilities, technology improvements, and athletic facilities​ (Fox 7 Austin)
    • In California and Arkansas, bond measures totaling $74 million — including school choice — were aimed at addressing school facility improvements​ (The74Million)
    • Voters in 16 North Carolina counties approved bond issues totaling $4.27 billion, with $3.08 billion dedicated to K-12 public school construction and improvements​ (EducationNC)

“The cure for high prices, is high prices” — They say.

Today we explore fiscal runaway in the US education “industry” with particular interest in the financing instruments for building the real assets that are the beating heart of culture in neighborhoods, cities, counties and states.  We steer clear of social and political issues.  The marketing of these projects — and how the loans are paid off — provides insight into the costs and benefits of this $100+ billion industry; the largest non-residential building construction market in the United States.

Educational Settlement Finance

We cannot do much to stop the hyperbolically rising cost of administrative functionaries but we can force the incumbents we describe in our ABOUT to work a little harder to reduce un-used (or un-useable) space and reduce maintenance cost.  Sometimes simple questions result in obvious answers that result in significant savings.

More recently hybrid teaching and learning space, owing the the circumstances of the pandemic, opens new possibilities for placing downward pressure on cost.

What the University of Michigan has done to reduce the life cycle cost of the real assets of educational settlements

Gallery: School Bond Referenda

Regulation or Money-Laundering?

Every school building begins twice: first in the bond market, and later on the construction site.  After Architect-Engineers and Building Construction Contractors (many of whom finance election advocacy enterprises) the following organizations are involved in placing a bond on the open market:

  1. School Districts: Individual school districts issue bonds to fund construction or renovation of school facilities, purchase equipment, or cover other educational expenses. Each school district is responsible for managing its own bond issuances.
  2. Colleges and Universities: Higher education institutions, such as universities and colleges, issue bonds to finance campus expansions, construction of new academic buildings, dormitories, research facilities, and other capital projects.
  3. State-Level Agencies: Many states have agencies responsible for overseeing and coordinating bond issuances for schools and universities. These agencies may facilitate bond sales, help ensure compliance with state regulations, and provide financial assistance to educational institutions.
  4. Municipal Finance Authorities: Municipal finance authorities at the state or local level often play a role in facilitating bond transactions for educational entities. They may act as intermediaries in the bond issuance process.
  5. Investment Banks and Underwriters: Investment banks and underwriters assist educational institutions in structuring and selling their bonds to investors. They help determine bond terms, market the bonds, and manage the offering.
  6. Bond Counsel: Bond counsel, typically law firms, provide legal advice to educational institutions on bond issuances. They help ensure that the bond issuance complies with all legal requirements and regulations.
  7. Rating Agencies: Rating agencies, such as Moody’s, Standard & Poor’s, and Fitch Ratings, assess the creditworthiness of the bonds and assign credit ratings. These ratings influence the interest rates at which the bonds can be issued.
  8. Investors: Various institutional and individual investors, including mutual funds, pension funds, and individual bond buyers, purchase school and university bonds as part of their investment portfolios.
  9. Financial Advisors: Financial advisory firms provide guidance to educational institutions on bond issuances, helping them make informed financial decisions related to borrowing and debt management.
  10. Regulatory Authorities: Federal and state regulatory authorities, such as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and state-specific agencies, oversee and regulate the issuance of bonds to ensure compliance with securities laws and financial regulations.

These organizations collectively contribute to the process of issuing, selling, and managing school and university bonds in the United States, allowing educational institutions to raise the necessary funds for their capital projects and operations. The specific entities involved may vary depending on the size and location of the educational institution and the nature of the bond issuance.

Bond issuances affect local property values.

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