After close of business on Tuesday (February 16) our content management theme — after having provided fairly reliable service for 15 years — will undergo a major upgrade. This upgrade will enable instant updates across all time zones and across all our social media platforms. We will still be on the job, hosting our Daily Colloquia at the usual hour, our topics will remain as posted on our CALENDAR, but content presentation may look a little janky until the transition stabilizes.
Much like hardware in ICT, software must also be maintained.
NIST | USPTO | ANSI | IEEE | ICC | ASTM | ASHRAE | UL |
Michigan Standards Developers : NSF | ACI | NETA | ASABE | HL7 | RIA | JCSEE | BIFMA | PJRFSI | SAE
Global: BSA | NSAI | CSA | CEN & CENELEC | ISO & IEC*
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
You’re like a standard reference material,
Reliable and true. pic.twitter.com/ensl7oc2iG— National Institute of Standards and Technology (@NIST) February 14, 2026
From Lupercalia to love letters 💌 Valentine’s Day has evolved over centuries. Today, standards assure that the chocolates, cards, and flowers we exchange are safe, reliable, and responsibly produced. #ValentinesDay #ConsumerSafety❤️🌹🍫 https://t.co/r7KMB0eUPt
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) February 14, 2026
As fans tune in to the #WinterOlympics, a reminder that inventions like U.S. Pat. 5,784,809 improved snowboard boot flexibility and comfort, while U.S. Pat, 6,523,851 enabled touring bindings for uphill climbs and downhill runs, helping athletes shred with confidence. 🏂 pic.twitter.com/4TLDVbjvoc
— USPTO (@uspto) February 10, 2026
Following an industry-wide job task analysis, the Healthcare Facility Design Professional (HFDP) Certification exam content outline will be updated starting March 1.
Apply by Feb. 28 to receive a 50% discount and sit for the HFDP exam March 1 – 31.
💡 How it works:
✔ Apply by… pic.twitter.com/lAfnFR3oK9— ASHRAE News (@ashraenews) February 11, 2026
Following an industry-wide job task analysis, the Healthcare Facility Design Professional (HFDP) Certification exam content outline will be updated starting March 1.
Apply by Feb. 28 to receive a 50% discount and sit for the HFDP exam March 1 – 31.
💡 How it works:
✔ Apply by… pic.twitter.com/lAfnFR3oK9— ASHRAE News (@ashraenews) February 11, 2026
Hut-hut-hike! 🏈 The NFL logo, Vince Lombardi Trophy design, and the terms “Super Bowl” and “Super Sunday” are all federally registered trademarks that help tell fans who’s bringing them “The Big Game.” pic.twitter.com/gJDxdqqm7J
— USPTO (@uspto) February 6, 2026
The newly revised ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025 sets the benchmark for occupational and educational #Eye and #Face protection. 🥽 The 2025 edition provides clearer guidance on performance, testing, and marking, which helps organizations select the right protection for specific hazards and… pic.twitter.com/tkMa03s4bO
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) February 5, 2026
— National Institute of Standards and Technology (@NIST) February 6, 2026
The newly revised ANSI/ISEA Z87.1-2025 sets the benchmark for occupational and educational #Eye and #Face protection. 🥽 The 2025 edition provides clearer guidance on performance, testing, and marking, which helps organizations select the right protection for specific hazards and… pic.twitter.com/tkMa03s4bO
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) February 5, 2026
APPA was founded at the University of Michigan| See our ABOUT
Day 2 at APPAU!
APPA members kept the collaborative learning going at this year’s offered courses:💡 Institute for Facilities Management, 🎒 Leadership Academy, and 💻 T3. pic.twitter.com/g8SzfMfQFH
— APPA – Leadership in Educational Facilities (@APPA_facilities) February 5, 2026
How do business leaders build trust in AI while keeping innovation alive? Our research analyzed 123 company annual reports and gathered insights from 850+ business leaders across eight countries and multiple sectors. https://t.co/PGgKR2bqfM #BSI #ArtificialIntelligence pic.twitter.com/I3skmCYL6X
— BSI America (@BSI_America) February 4, 2026
Build the Future. SAE helps pay for it. 💲
SAE Scholarships are dedicated to developing the future engineering workforce. Apply today for one (or more!) of the many scholarships we offer. Applications will be accepted all of February. Don’t delay! https://t.co/lv8eD79Ib8 pic.twitter.com/M9Ge7ZLC1w
— SAE International® (@SAEIntl) February 2, 2026
First invented by television producer Tony Verna in 1963, instant replay technology helps ensure fans see the biggest moments of the big game. Although he did not receive one for instant replay, Verna sought patents for similar inventions later in life. pic.twitter.com/hR7LwRXSI4
— USPTO (@uspto) February 3, 2026
Last week, CEN and CENELEC took part in Open Source Week, engaging with the vibrant and diverse open source ecosystem. Our colleagues Amirifar Nooshin and Yannis Chourmouziadis participated in the Open Source Policy Summit where they had constructive discussions.#TrustStandards pic.twitter.com/MxwGDFzvZ1
— CEN and CENELEC (@Standards4EU) February 4, 2026
ASHRAE is honored to welcome and host so many esteemed VIP guests at the Leadership Luncheon. This group truly represents ASHRAE’s continued commitment to collaboration with organizations throughout the built environment.#MyASHRAE pic.twitter.com/DCl8QIiS28
— ASHRAE News (@ashraenews) February 2, 2026
Join EdSoc & IEEE Educational Activities for our upcoming free webinar: The Vital Importance of Having Fun While Learning! 🎮
📅 Thursday, 5 February 2026
🕚 11:00 AM EST
📍 Virtual via Airmeet🔗 Learn more & register: https://t.co/U6o6gZ7hgH pic.twitter.com/7QRuSx04fQ
— IEEE Education Society (@IEEE_EduSoc) January 31, 2026
Join EdSoc & IEEE Educational Activities for our upcoming free webinar: The Vital Importance of Having Fun While Learning! 🎮
📅 Thursday, 5 February 2026
🕚 11:00 AM EST
📍 Virtual via Airmeet🔗 Learn more & register: https://t.co/U6o6gZ7hgH pic.twitter.com/7QRuSx04fQ
— IEEE Education Society (@IEEE_EduSoc) January 31, 2026
Check out ASTM’s ongoing efforts to support early-career professionals, including participation at a Fatigue and Fracture Symposium. https://t.co/aKlNXtJYxa pic.twitter.com/CTcsb41SDQ
— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) January 30, 2026
Winter storms are on the way; #Corrosion is a major concern. From bridges, and utility equipment, winter’s salty conditions can hasten #Rust & degradation. ASTM B117-26 helps evaluate materials meant to withstand harsh, corrosive environments. @ASTMIntl https://t.co/qAzr3TTMXR
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) February 1, 2026
ASHRAE announces nominees for the 2026-27 Slate of Officers and Directors. Members will vote on the nominees via electronic ballot in May, including who will serve as ASHRAE President for the 2026-27 Society year. To see the full list of nominees, visit https://t.co/lJdqfCz264.… pic.twitter.com/UJnF0nC2bY
— ASHRAE News (@ashraenews) February 2, 2026
Higher voltages being introduced to power AI data centers present new electrical hazards that many codes and standards have yet to address. We’re working to solve the challenge through a new collaboration w/ @OpenComputePrj, @abbgroupnews and @eatoncorp https://t.co/NGRg8Amf98 pic.twitter.com/ZNf6husbz9
— UL Solutions (@UL_Solutions) January 15, 2026
Preservation of old standards may be useful. In converting material into an ASTM standard, form, style, terminology are areas that require particular attention. Here, we address the rationale for offering these versions of standards, steps taken to make them conform to ASTM… pic.twitter.com/ZT1LWgxqLX
— ASTM International (@ASTMIntl) January 29, 2026
I scream. You scream. We all scream for ICE CREAM CONES.🍦On this day in 1924, Carl R. Taylor patented an ice cream cone rolling machine (No. 1,481,813), automating the process of shaping flat wafers into perfectly formed cones. pic.twitter.com/adaBY2f3xV
— USPTO (@uspto) January 29, 2026
🗣️ “AI chatbots with hallucinate around 27% of the time, so we need to ensure employees have the AI literacy required to critically consider the output AI delivers” Laura Bishop PhD, BSI AI and Cybersecurity Sector Lead#BSI #TrustInAI #AIGovernance #AIStrateg pic.twitter.com/0MyIpozyiR
— BSI America (@BSI_America) January 29, 2026
The Annual Student Presentation Forum was part of the 23rd ASTM/ESIS International Symposium on Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics during November Committee Week in Atlantahttps://t.co/4eP9VVYQAw#fatigueandfracture pic.twitter.com/53Pi87sdlx
— ASTM Student Fans (@ASTMStudentFans) January 28, 2026
📣 New edition of the X9 AI Study Group Newsletter just dropped!
This issue explores AI tools and real-world use cases shaping the financial sector while also diving into regulatory readiness and risk management.
👉 https://t.co/rfLmltYcWI pic.twitter.com/oCtCQ0IRNb
— ASC X9, Inc. (@ASCX9Inc) January 26, 2026
Great turnout at the X12 standing Meeting. Especially, given the difficult weather across the country. A wonderful spread of food, as well. Great to see everyone and certainly appreciate the participation. pic.twitter.com/XlbODYcY40
— X12 (@X12standards) January 27, 2026
Huge congratulations to Mark Lotspeich of Dynalectric Oregon for winning NECA’s 2026 Innovator of the Year at the #MEPConference! 🏆
This recognition reflects his dedication and commitment to pushing the industry forward. pic.twitter.com/aa91xJtJ6g
— NECA (@necanet) January 27, 2026
The 2026 IEEE WIE Day Ambassador Call is NOW OPEN!
Are you ready to champion Technology with Purpose around the world?
Apply now:
🔗 https://t.co/33ZqSCF4Af
Learn more about WIE Day:
🌐 https://t.co/urqJDcsOm0#IEEEWIEDay pic.twitter.com/miu7II4nLJ— IEEE WIE (@IEEEWIE) January 26, 2026
Congrats to Scott Osborn, PE, retired professor, biological and agricultural engineering, University of Arkansas, for being named an ASABE Fellow! Osborn was selected for in teaching the next generation of engineers, invention and innovation in systems. https://t.co/UFTWhIrS2i pic.twitter.com/Q95ufpymMI
— ASABE.org (@ASABEorg) January 26, 2026
The 2026 ASHRAE HVAC&R Student Paper Competition concluded on January 22nd with presentations from four finalists. The four-person judging panel selected Felix Ekuful as the winner of the 2026 competition. His research focus is on developing advanced control strategies to improve… pic.twitter.com/RDbLiLopIK
— ASHRAE News (@ashraenews) January 27, 2026
See how standards help ensure that gypsum board and related products are properly manufactured and installed. https://t.co/t30BHWzo9D#safetystandards pic.twitter.com/8CTK4766k2
— ASTM Student Fans (@ASTMStudentFans) January 26, 2026
Closing on Wednesday!
NSAI has launched the public consultation for S.R. 66:2015 +A1:202X Standard Recommendation providing guidance to wastewater treatment products in conformance with the EN 12566 series of standards.
This public consultation closes on 28th January 2026 so… pic.twitter.com/xvDUltbn7z
— NSAI (@NSAI_Standards) January 26, 2026
Just about every airspeed sensor in the United States can trace its calibration back, either directly or indirectly via calibration laboratories, to a wind tunnel on NIST’s Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus.
Learn more: https://t.co/GK9BLGMreU pic.twitter.com/DaCCR4hfDX
— National Institute of Standards and Technology (@NIST) January 23, 2026
🚧 In 2025, fall protection topped OSHA’s list of the most common violations, with 5,914 reported. ISO 45001 helps organizations create a culture of safety that reduces injuries. 🦺💼@OSHA_DOL @isostandards #WorkerSafety #OSHA https://t.co/NFcEpqXBJ9
— ANSI (@ansidotorg) January 24, 2026
Discover opportunities to get involved. Learn about in-person and virtual events to attend:https://t.co/fbNDMWiMLv pic.twitter.com/BK1pXCLINb
— IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA (@IEEESA) December 19, 2025
🤝Full house for the biannual Technical Body Officers Seminar focusing on key aspects of the standardization system, this day was again a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices with peers, strengthening our collective technical leadership. #TrustStandards pic.twitter.com/K2wujDboS7
— CEN and CENELEC (@Standards4EU) January 22, 2026
Some states are bracing for below-zero temperatures, and it’s important to prepare now. @kfdmnews #BuildingCodes #BuildingSafety365 #ColdWeather https://t.co/T8lJqGdEK5
— IntlCodeCouncil (@IntlCodeCouncil) January 24, 2026
If you design or operate health care facilities, Standard 170 sets the minimum.
ANSI/ASHRAE/ASHE Standard 170 defines the minimum ventilation requirements for health care facilities and is developed in partnership with FGI and ASHE for adoption by code-enforcing agencies.The… pic.twitter.com/7ibciPtMRn
— ASHRAE News (@ashraenews) January 23, 2026
* 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.
ANSI Standards Action February 13, 2026 | Bulletin Board
Thomas Sowell on School Choice and the Price Our Children Pay for Bad Ideas
Maddy Zhang: Everything I learned at MIT in 10 Minutes
Macdonald-Laurier Institute: How to Reverse Collapsing Birth Rates
Trending | Engagements, Weddings & Births | Sport News | Carillons
100 years ago, the Supreme Court made it clear in Pierce v. Society of Sisters: raising children is the responsibility of parents, not the government.
100 years later, the Trump Administration remains committed to protecting parental rights. pic.twitter.com/yduXdLShty
— Secretary Linda McMahon (@EDSecMcMahon) June 1, 2025
“…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.
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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.
2. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
3. American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
4. Fast Forward
5. Rewind
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)
The beaming face of a woman who just found a man in the Olympic Village pic.twitter.com/aaODuXEwHI
— TastefulLindy (@LindyTasteful) February 16, 2026
The Spectator: Americans are erasing European culture
(And Many Americans Are Also Unhappy About It)
USA USA USA! 🇺🇸🥌 #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/c0nDoYehBq
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 14, 2026
JUST IN: Team USA’s Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin defeat Italy, the reigning Olympic gold medalists from 2022, to advance to the gold medal game.
The curling duo will face Sweden tomorrow.
So intense. pic.twitter.com/No3YLh0SLv
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 9, 2026
Olympics start tomorrow – 4 Yoopers represented
🇺🇸Nick Baumgartner, Iron River, snowboarding
🇺🇸Abby Roque, Sault St Marie, hockey
🇺🇸Deedra Irwin, Michigan Tech, biathalon
🇮🇹Alex Petan, Michigan Tech, hockey pic.twitter.com/xVyf2fquVw— Rust Belt Kid (@rustbeltkid1) February 5, 2026
We begin by celebrating Italian beauty and harmony. 🤝
The stadium has been transformed into a living museum with the myth of Cupid and Psyche brought to life for the world to see. 💘#MilanoCortina2026 | #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/FGj8ih8yfz
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 6, 2026
Racing the clock… and maybe towards something more. ❤️😉
As Sophia Kirkby heads into #MilanoCortina2026, she’s targeting the podium and a little romance along the way.#WinterOlympics | #Luge | @milanocortina26 pic.twitter.com/737oW5PtTM
— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) February 6, 2026
“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.”
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 | IES Illumination
Draft IEEE Paper Abstracts | Mike Anthony Short Biography | Electrotechnology OEMS
IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee Recent Meeting Minutes
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IEEE SEM Student Activity 2025
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.
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 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)
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | November 21, Open Meeting
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
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
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:
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-1
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-2
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-4
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-5
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
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-15
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-16
2026 NEC Standards Michigan proposals | Public Input Report CMP-18
Related:
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
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)
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:
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.
Public input on the 2029 Revision will be received until April 9th. Over the next weeks and months — typically meeting twice a day every Tuesday — we will pull forward our previous proposals and draft original proposals relevant to the education and healthcare electrotechnical infrastructure of educational settlements. Link to Proposed Reorganization.
Photo at 2723 State Street Office*
Mike was part of the National Electrical Code Quarter Century Club but was at another conference and not able to receive the award at the June conference. University of Michigan support began in 1993. IEEE support began in 2014.
*New Office (a short walk across the street) starting October 1: 455 East Eisenhower, Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Current Issues and Recent Research
Today we examine Second Draft transcripts of the Special Equipment Chapter 6 (CMP-12) and product inspection, testing and certification listings that appear Annex A (CMP-1).
Once every eighteen months we spend a week drilling into the National Electrical Code by submitting new proposals or comments on proposed revisions. Today we review the actions taken by the technical committees on the First Draft. Responses to committee actions will be received until August 26th.
Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources “Microgrids”
IEEE Standards Association Public Review
Related Issues and Recent Research | Federal Legislation
This title sets the standard of care for construction, operation and maintenance of power and telecommunication infrastructure on the supply side of the point of common coupling. It is the first title to contemplate when weather disasters happen; with most public utilities bound to its best practice assertions by statute. Pre-print of Change Proposals for changes to appear in 2028 Edition will be available by 1 July 2025; with 24 March 2026 as the close date for comments on proposed changes.
Project Introduction for the 2028 Edition (2:39 minutes)
Changes proposals for the Edition will be received until 15 May 2024
Project Workspace: Update Data Tables in IEEE Recommended Practice for the Design of Reliable Industrial and Commercial Power Systems
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission: Electrical Resource Adequacy
NARUC Position on NFPA (NEC) and IEEE (NESC) Harmonization
The standard of care for electrical safety at high and low voltage is set by both the NEC and the NESC. There are gaps, however (or, at best “gray areas”) — the result of two technical cultures: utility power culture and building fire safety culture. There is also tradition. Local system conditions and local adaptation of regulations vary. Where there is a gap; the more rigorous requirement should govern safety of the public and workers.
The 2023 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)– an IEEE title often mistaken for NFPA’s National Electrical Code (NEC) — was released for public use about six months ago; its normal 5-year revision cycle interrupted by the circumstances of the pandemic. Compared with the copy cost of the NEC, the NESC is pricey, though appropriate for its target market — the electric utility industry. Because the 2023 revision has not been effectively “field tested” almost all of the available support literature is, effectively, “sell sheets” for pay-for seminars and written by authors presenting themselves as experts for the battalions of litigators supporting the US utility industry. Without the ability to sell the NESC to prospective “insiders” the NESC would not likely be commercial prospect for IEEE. As the lawsuits and violations and conformance interests make their mark in the fullness of time; we shall see the 2023 NESC “at work”.
Office of the President: Economic Benefits of Increasing Electric Grid Resilience to Weather Outages
Change Proposals are now being accepted from the public for revisions to the 2023 Edition of the National Electrical Safety Code® #NESC through 15 May 2024.
Learn more: https://t.co/jbxWtLPS6r pic.twitter.com/FRvZly1DoH
— IEEE Standards Association | IEEE SA (@IEEESA) April 11, 2024
“Science can amuse and fascinate us all, but it is engineering that changes the world.”
– Isaac Asimov pic.twitter.com/IDl3dWLVgn— World of Engineering (@engineers_feed) February 26, 2024
Research Tracks:
Reliability of Communication Systems needed for the autonomous vehicle transformation
Standards:
Presentation | FERC-NERC-Regional Entity Joint Inquiry Into Winter Storm Elliott
IEEE Guide for Joint Use of Utility Poles with Wireline and/or Wireless Facilities
NESC Rule 250B and Reliability Based Design
NESC Requirements (Strength and Loading)
Engineering Analysis of Possible Effects of 2017 NESC Change Proposal to Remove 60′ Exemption
Joint Use of Electric Power Transmission & Distribution Facilities and Equipment
A Framework to Quantify the Value of Operational Resilience for Electric Power Distribution Systems
Technologies for Interoperability in Microgrids for Energy Access
National Electrical Safety Code: Revision Cycles 1993 through 2023
February 24, 2023
The new code goes into effect 1 February 2023, but is now available for access on IEEE Xplore! Produced exclusively by IEEE, the National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) specifies best practices for the safety of electric supply and communication utility systems at both public and private utilities. The bibliography is expanding rapidly:
NESC 2023: Introduction to the National Electrical Safety Code
NESC 2023: Safety Rules for Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply
NESC 2023: Rules for Installation and Maintenance of Electric Supply Stations
October 31, 2022
The IEEE NESC technical committee has released a “fast track” review of proposed changes to fault-managed power system best practice:
CP5605 Provides a definition of new Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) circuits used for the powering of
communications equipment clearly defines what constitutes a FMPS circuit for the purposes of application of the NESC
Rules of 224 and 344
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXtAAAAADhMnPs
CP5606 Provides new definitions of Communication Lines to help ensure that Fault Managed Power Systems (FMPS)
circuits used for the exclusive powering of communications equipment are clearly identified as communications lines
and makes an explicit connection to Rule 224B where the applicable rules for such powering circuits are found.
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXpAAAAAFfvWIs
CP5607 The addition of this exception permits cables containing Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) circuits used for
the exclusive powering of communications equipment to be installed without a shield.
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXuAAAAAEEt3p4
CP5608 The addition of this exception permits cables containing Fault Managed Power System (FMPS) circuits used for
the exclusive powering of communications equipment to be installed without a shield.
https://ieee-sa.imeetcentral.com/p/eAAAAAAASPXvAAAAAGrzyeI
We refer them to the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee for further action, if any.
August 5, 2022
We collaborate closely with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee (IEEE E&H) to negotiate the standard of care for power security on the #SmartCampus since many campus power systems are larger than publicly regulated utilities. Even when they are smaller, the guidance in building the premise wiring system — whether the premise is within a building, outside the building (in which the entire geography of the campus footprint is the premise), is inspired by IEEE Standards Association administrated technical committees.
Today we begin a list of noteworthy changes to be understood in the next few Power colloquia. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
After "slipping a pole" in its revision cadence (owed to the circumstances of the pandemic) the 2023 NESC is rolling out for incorporation by reference into public safety laws relevant to education communities with #WiseCampus ambitions.@ieee_pes @IEEESAhttps://t.co/7EaTBgxa8X pic.twitter.com/jPvZNYzWBi
— IEEECampus (@IEEECampus) August 5, 2022
February 18, 2021
Several proposals recommending improvements to the 2017 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) were submitted to the IEEE subcommittees drafting the 2022 revision of the NESC. Some of the proposals deal with coordination with the National Electrical Code — which is now in its 2023 revision cycle. Keep in mind that that NESC is revised every 5 years at the moment; the NEC is revised every 3 years.
The original University of Michigan standards advocacy enterprise has been active in writing the NESC since the 2012 edition and set up a workspace for use by electrical professionals in the education industry. We will be using this workspace as the 2022 NESC continues along its developmental path:
The revision schedule — also revised in response to the circumstances of the pandemic — is linked below::
NESC 2023 Edition Revision Schedule*






The NESC is a standing item on the 4-times monthly teleconferences of the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities committee. The next online meeting is shown on the top menu of the IEEE E&H website:
We have a copy of the first draft of the 2023 NESC and welcome anyone to join us for an online examination during any of Power & ICT teleconferences. See our CALENDAR for the next online meeting.
Business unit leaders, facility managers and electrical engineers working in the education facilities industry may be interested in the campus power system reliability database. Forced outages on large research campuses, for example, can have enterprise interruption cost of $100,000 to $1,000,000 per minute. The campus power system forced outage database discriminates between forced outages attributed to public utility interruptions and forced outages attributed to the university-owned power system. The E&H committee will convey some of the discipline applied by the IEEE 1366 technical committee into its study of campus power systems and, ultimately, setting a benchmark for the standard of care for large university power systems.
* The IEEE changed the nominal date of the next edition; likely owed to pandemic-related slowdown typical for most standards developing organizations.
Issue: [16-67]
Contact: Mike Anthony, Robert G. Arno, Lorne Clark, Nehad El-Sharif, Jim Harvey, Kane Howard, Joe Weber, Guiseppe Parise, Jim Murphy
Category: Electrical, Energy Conservation & Management, Occupational Safety
ARCHIVE: University of Michigan Advocacy in the NESC 2007 – 2017
The 2023 National Electrical Safety Code (#NESC) will be published this August. Stay tuned for new resources from #IEEE coming soon! Read about the upcoming changes here:https://t.co/VLXCNaf74S
— IEEE Educational Activities (@IEEEeducation) June 8, 2022
LEARN MORE:
P1366 – Guide for Electric Power Distribution Reliability Indices
University Design Guidelines that reference the National Electrical Safety Code
Blue and Gray Education | Standards Illinois
University of Michigan Abraham Lincoln Collection
"Lincoln the Railsplitter" 1964 | Norman Rockwellhttps://t.co/gud3D79Zuy@NRockwellMuseumhttps://t.co/B62jeA4KyJhttps://t.co/HjKBblcz8d pic.twitter.com/Tyq3Qzql8w
— Standards Michigan (@StandardsMich) February 16, 2026
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/njrDAbSpwB pic.twitter.com/GkAXrHoQ9T
— USPTO (@uspto) July 13, 2023
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