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Wires

October 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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Ampere current flows through copper or aluminum conductor due to the movement of free electrons in response to an applied electric field of varying voltages.   Each copper or aluminum contributes one free electron to the electron sea, creating a vast reservoir of mobile charge carriers. When a potential difference (voltage) is applied across the ends of the conductor, an electric field is established within the conductor. This field exerts a force on the free electrons, causing them to move in the direction of the electric field.  The resulting current flow can be transformed into different forms depending on the nature of the device.

Heating: When current flows through a resistor, it encounters resistance, which causes the resistor to heat up. This is the principle behind electric heaters, toasters, and incandescent light bulbs.

Mechanical Work: Current flowing through an electric motor creates a magnetic field, which interacts with the magnetic field of the motor’s permanent magnets or electromagnets. This interaction generates a mechanical force, causing the motor to rotate. Thus, electrical energy is converted into mechanical energy; including sound.

Light: In an incandescent light bulb, a filament heats up ( a quantum phenomena) due to the current passing through it. This is an example of electrical energy being converted into light energy; including the chemical energy through light emitting diodes

Today we dwell on how conductors are specified and installed in building premise wiring systems primarily; with some attention to paths designed to carry current flowing through unwanted paths (ground faults, phase imbalance, etc).   In the time we have we will review the present state of the best practice literature developed by the organizations listed below:

International Electrotechnical Commission

60304 Low voltage installations: Protection against electric shock

Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

National Electrical Safety Code

Insulated Cable Engineers Association

International Association of Electrical Inspectors

National Fire Protection Association

National Electrical Code

Code Making Panel 6

Transcript of CMP-6 Proposals for 2026 NEC

Other organizations such as the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, ASTM International, Underwriter Laboratories, also set product and installation standards.  Data center wiring; fiber-optic and low-voltage control wiring is covered in other colloquia (e.g. Infotech and Security) and coordinated with the IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee.

Use the login credentials at the upper right of our home page.


Related:

2017 National Electrical Code § 110.5

Neher-McGrath Calculation: Cable Calculation ampacity and Thermal Analysis

ETAP: Cabling Sizing – Cable Thermal Analysis

 

System Aspects of Electrical Energy

Impedance Grounding for Electric Grid Surviability

Electric Power Availability: Cold Weather Preparedness

Architecture of power systems: Special cases

Outdoor Deicing & Snow Melting

Campus Outdoor Lighting

High Voltage Electric Service

Campus Electric Bulk Distribution

NESC & NEC Cross-Code Correlation

October 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

No Comments

Statement from NARUC During its Summer 2018 Committee Meetings

IEEE Education & Healthcare Facilities Committee

Draft Proposals for the 2028 National Electrical Safety Code

Representative State Level Service Quality Standards

MI Power Grid


Relevant Research


PROCESS, PROCEDURES & SCHEDULE

2025-2026 NESC Revision Schedule

Mike Anthony is ID Number 469 | Proposal period closes 11:59 PM US Pacific Time | May 15

Meeting Notes in red

Loss of electric power and internet service happens more frequently and poses at least an equal — if not greater threat — to public safety.  So why does neither the National Electrical Code or the National Electrical Safety Code integrate reliability into their core requirements?  Reliability requirements appear in a network of related documents, either referenced, or incorporated by reference; sometimes automatically, sometimes not.

NESC Main Committee Membership: Page xii

Apart from the IEEE as the accredited standards developer, there are no “pure non-government user-interests” on this committee; although ANSI’s Essential Requirements for balance of interests provides highly nuanced interpretation.  The Classifications on Page xiii represents due diligence on meeting balance of interest requirements.

In our case, we are one of many large universities that usually own district energy plants that both generate and purchase generate electric power (as sometimes provide var support to utilities when necessary; as during the August 2003 North American outage).  For University of Michigan, for example, has about 20 service points at 4.8 – 120 kV.  Its Central Power Plant is the largest cogeneration plant on the DTE system.

Contents: Page xxviii | PDF Page 29

Absence of internet service is at least as much a hazard, and more frequent, than downed wires.   Is there a standards solution?  Consideration of interoperability of internet service power supported on utility poles  should track in the next revision.

No mention of any reliability related IEEE reliability standards in the present edition.  Why is this?

Section 2: Definitions of Special Terms | PDF Page 46

In the 2023 Handbook, the term “reliability” shows up 34 times.

availability (from Bob Arno’s IEEE 3006-series and IEEE 493 Gold Book revision)

reliability (Bob Arno)

utility (PDF Page 57)

communication | PDF Page 47

list of terms defined in the 2023 National Electrical Code that are new and relevant to this revision: (Article 100 NEC)

Bonding jumper, system and supply

Survivability of communication network signaling

Fiber optic cable mounted on common poles with a medium voltage overhead line standardizing procedure

municipal broadband network, digital subscriber line, surveillance cameras

wireless communication system

010. Purpose | PDF Page 40

Looks like improvement since last edition.  Suggest explicit Informational Note, as in the NEC, using “reliability” and referring to other agencies.  “Abnormal events” could be tighter and refer to other standards for abnormal, steady-state events.   The clarification of purpose is welcomed although a great deal remains uncovered by other best practice literature; though that can be repaired in this edition.

Legacy of shared circuit path standards. Should provisions be made for municipal surveillance, traffic and vehicle control infrastructure.  What would that look like?

011. Scope | Covered PDF Page 40

3. Utility facilities and functions of utilities that either (a) generate energy by conversion from
some other form of energy such as, but not limited to, fossil fuel, chemical, electrochemical,
nuclear, solar, mechanical, wind or hydraulic or communication signals, or accept energy or
communication signals from another entity, or (b) provide that energy or communication
signals through a delivery point to another entity.

5. Utility facilities and functions on the line side of the service point supplied by underground or
overhead conductors maintained and/or installed under exclusive control of utilities located on
public or private property in accordance with legally established easements or rights-of-way,
contracts, other agreements (written or by conditions of service), or as authorized by a
regulating or controlling body.
NOTE: Agreements to locate utility facilities on property may be required where easements are either
(a) not obtainable (such as locating utility facilities on existing rights-of-way of railroads or other entities,
military bases, federal lands, Native American reservations, lands controlled by a port authority, or other
governmental agency), or (b) not necessary (such as locating facilities necessary for requested service to a
site).

012. General Rules | Covered PDF Page 42

For all particulars not specified, but within the scope of these rules, as stated in Rule 011A, design,
construction, operation, and maintenance should be done in accordance with accepted good practice
for the given local conditions known at the time by those responsible for the communication or
supply lines and equipment

General purpose clause could use some work since no definition of “accepted good practice”.  Refer to IEEE bibliography.

 

Section 2: Definition of special terms | PDF Page 46

Recommendations elsewhere should track here.

 The word “installation” appears 256 times and is generally understood in context by experts.  Suggest borrow from NEC to clarify our concern for including co-linear/communication circuits. 

conduit.  exclusive control, lines, photovoltaic, NEC interactive. qualified

Section 3: Reference

NFPA 70®, National Electrical Code® (NEC®). [Rules 011B4 NOTE, 099C NOTE 1, and 127

IEEE Std 4™-1995, IEEE Standard Techniques for High-Voltage Testing. [Table 410-2 and Table 410-3]
IEEE Std 516™-2009, IEEE Guide for Maintenance Methods on Energized Power-Lines. [Rules 441A4
NOTE 2, 446B1, and 446D3 NOTE, and Table 441-5, Footnote 4]
IEEE Std 1427™-2006, IEEE Guide for Recommended Electrical Clearances and Insulation Levels in
Air-Insulated Electrical Power Substations. [Rule 124A1 NOTE, Table 124-1, 176 NOTE, and 177 NOTE]
IEEE Std 1584™-2002, IEEE Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations. [Table 410-1,
Footnotes 1, 3, 6, and 14]
IEEE Std C62.82.1™-2010, IEEE Standard for Insulation Coordination—Definitions, Principles, and Rules.
[Table 124-1 Footnote 5]

Add references to Gold Book, 1386, etc. IEC since multinationals conform.

 

Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | PDF Page 111

Has anyone confirmed that these tables match NEC Table 495.24 lately?  If it helps: there were no meaningful changes in the 2023 NEC in Article 495, the high voltage article

Section 11. Protective arrangements in electric supply stations | PDF Page 77

A safety sign shall be displayed on or beside the door or gate at each entrance. For fenced or
walled electric supply stations without roofs, a safety sign shall be displayed on each exterior
side of the fenced or wall enclosure. Where the station is entirely enclosed by walls and roof, a
safety sign is required only at ground level entrances. Where entrance is gained through
sequential doors, the safety sign should be located at the inner door position.  (A clarification but no change.  See Standards Michigan 2017 proposals)

Recommend that all oil-filled cans be removed and services upgraded through energy regulations with new kVA ratings

Section 12: Installation and maintenance of equipment

093. Grounding conductor and means of connection

Fences
The grounding conductor for fences required to be effectively grounded by other parts of this
Code shall meet the requirements of Rule 093C5 or shall be steel wire not smaller than Stl WG
No. 5.

D. Guarding and protection | PDF Page 67

124. Guarding live parts| PDF Page 85

Propose roofs required for exterior installations

Part 2. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | Page 72

Section 22. Relations between various classes of lines and equipment | Page 80

222. Joint use of structures | Page 82

Where the practice of joint use is mutually agreed upon by the affected utilities, facilities shall be subject to the appropriate grade of construction specified in Section 24. Joint use of structures should be
considered for circuits along highways, roads, streets, and alleys. The choice between joint use of structures and separate lines shall be determined through cooperative consideration with other joint
users of all the factors involved, including the character of circuits, worker safety, the total number and weight of conductors, tree conditions, number and location of branches and service drops, structure
conflicts, availability of right-of-way, etc.

Reliability considerations for sustaining internet service when power supply is absent. 

Par2 Section 20 Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Overhead Electric Supply and Communication Line | PDF Page 111

Has anyone confirmed that these tables match NEC Table 495.24 lately?

Part 3. Safety Rules for the Installation and Maintenance of Underground Electric Supply and Communication Lines | Page 220

Renewable energy for internet access

311. Installation and maintenance

A. Persons responsible for underground facilities shall be able to indicate the location of their facilities.
B. Reasonable advance notice should be given to owners or operators of other proximate facilities that
may be adversely affected by new construction or changes in existing facilities.
C. For emergency installations, supply and communication cables may be laid directly on grade if the
cables do not unreasonably obstruct pedestrian or vehicular traffic and either:

1. The cables are covered, enclosed, or otherwise protected, or
2. The locations of the cables are conspicuous.
Supply cables operating above 600 V shall meet either Rule 230C or 350B.
NOTE: See Rules 014B2 and 230A2d.

Part 4. Work Rules for the Operation of Electric Supply and Communications Lines and Equipment | PDF Page 289

When and why was the term “Work” added to the title of this section?   

Core text for the definition of wireless communication system reliability

 


Appendix E Bibliography| PDF Page 355

 

 

 

Index | PDF Page 398

 


The word “reliability” appears only three times.  Should it track in the NESC or should it track in individual state requirements.  So neither the NEC nor the NESC couples closely with power and communication reliability; despite the enormity and speed of research.

 

Current Issues & Recent Research

October 13, 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

​​

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

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 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

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.

2029 National Electrical Code

October 13, 2026
mike@standardsmichigan.com

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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.

NFPA 70 2029 Revision Mike Anthony IEEE and Standards Michigan public input April 2026

2029 National Electrical Code Panel 1

2029 National Electrical Code Panel 3

 


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.

2026 National Electrical Code Workspace


Premise Wiring

Interconnected Electric Power Production Sources “Microgrids”

National Electrical Definitions

Kitchen Wiring

Solarvoltaic PV Systems

Hospital Plug Load

Data Center Wiring

Electrical Inspector Professional Qualifications

Critical Operations Power Systems

Arenas, Lecture Halls & Theaters

Appliances

Emergency and Standby Power Systems

Luminaires, Lampholders, and Lamps

Electric Vehicle Power Transfer System

Art, Design & Fashion Studios

Wiring for Luminaires in High Ceiling Occupancies

Intellectual Property

October 12, 2026
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It is impossible to overestimate the sensitivity of this topic but poke at it, we will.  At the moment, the less written here; the better.   Much of this domain is outside our wheelhouse; though it has settled on a few first principles regarding patents, trademarks and copyrights relevant to the user-interest we describe in our ABOUT.

Many large research universities have a watchdog guarding its intellectual property and trying to generate income from it, and; of course, for branding.  We will dwell on salient characteristics of the intellectual property domain with which we reckon daily — highlighting the market actors and the standards they have agreed upon.

Additionally, technical standards developers are generally protected by copyright law, as the standards they create are typically considered original works of authorship that are subject to copyright protection.  In the United States, the Copyright Act of 1976 provides copyright protection for original works of authorship, which includes technical standards. This means that the developers of technical standards have the exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works based on their standards, and others must obtain permission or a license to use or reproduce the standards.  

Some technical standards may be subject to certain exemptions or limitations under copyright law.  In the United States, there is a doctrine called “fair use” that allows for limited use of copyrighted works for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research, without the need for permission or a license from the copyright owner.  Almost everything we do at Standards Michigan falls under the fair use doctrine.  This is why we have no search feature and most pages are protected.  If we err in this; let us know.  

Innovation management

Why The U.S. And China Fight Over IP

For Every Lawyer, There is an Equal and Opposite Lawyer

Free Speech and Innovation

More

  1. Patent Act: This is the primary federal law governing patents in the United States. It sets forth the requirements for obtaining a patent, the rights of patent owners, and the remedies available for infringement.
  2. The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 and the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914 prohibit anticompetitive behavior in the marketplace, including the use of codes and standards to exclude competition.
  3. Title 37 of the Code of Federal Regulations: This contains the rules and procedures related to patents, including rules governing the filing and examination of patent applications.
  4. America Invents Act: This is a major overhaul of the U.S. patent system that was enacted in 2011. It includes provisions such as the transition to a “first-inventor-to-file” system and the creation of new post-grant review procedures for challenging the validity of patents.
  5. Manual of Patent Examining Procedure: This is a guidebook for patent examiners that provides detailed information on the rules and procedures for examining patent applications.
  6. Everett Rogers: Diffusion of innovations
  7. Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17)

 

Protection of Intellectual Property in the Supply Chain

ASTM International Intellectual Property Policy

Healthcare Standards Institute IP Policy

International Code Council Copyright Protection

IEEE Patent Policy

NFPA Regulations and Policies

Underwriters Laboratory Patent Policy

 

Intellectual Property 101

Innovation – Market Acceptance – Standardization – Human Right

2026 National Patent Application Drafting Competition (Results)

October 12, 2026
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The NPADC is a team competition for law students to develop skills in drafting patent applications, focusing on U.S. patent law. Teams receive a hypothetical invention statement, conduct prior art searches, draft specifications and claims, and present their work to judges, including patent examiners and practitioners. For 2025, the invention was an extra-uterine system for supporting premature fetuses, indicating the complexity of tasks involved

There is no publicly available timetable for the 2027 National Patent Application Drafting Competition (NPADC) from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as of the latest available information. The USPTO typically releases detailed schedules for the NPADC closer to the competition year, often in the fall of the preceding year (e.g., October or November 2025 for the 2026 competition).

 

Thomas Jefferson was the leader in founding the United States Patent Office. Jefferson was a strong supporter of the patent system and believed that it was essential for promoting innovation and progress in the United States. As the first Secretary of State Jefferson was responsible for implementing the country’s patent system.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution reads as follows:

“The Congress shall have Power To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”

In 1790, Jefferson drafted the first Patent Act, which established the procedures for applying for and granting patents. The act also created the United States Patent Office as a government agency to oversee the patent system. Jefferson appointed the first Patent Board, which was responsible for reviewing patent applications and making recommendations to the Secretary of State.

Jefferson was deeply involved in the early development of the Patent Office and was instrumental in shaping its policies and procedures. He believed that the patent system should be accessible to all inventors, regardless of their social or economic status, and he worked to streamline the patent application process to make it more efficient and user-friendly.

In recognition of his contributions to the development of the patent system, Jefferson is often referred to as the “Father of American Innovation.”

This clause grants Congress the authority to establish a system of patents and copyrights to protect the intellectual property of inventors and authors. The purpose of this system is to encourage innovation and creativity by providing inventors and authors with a temporary monopoly on their creations, allowing them to profit from their work and invest in future projects. The clause also emphasizes the importance of promoting the progress of science and the useful arts, reflecting the belief of the founders that the development of new technologies and inventions was essential for the growth and prosperity of the United States.

Over the years, the Patent Office has played a crucial role in the development of the United States as a technological leader, granting patents for inventions ranging from the telephone and the light bulb to the airplane and the computer. Today, the Patent Office is part of the United States Department of Commerce and is responsible for examining patent applications and issuing patents to inventors and companies.

Welcome to the 2025 National Patent Application Drafting Competition!

2024 National Patent Application Drafting Competition

90 Second Lecture: Was Christopher Columbus a Genius or Was He Just Lucky?

October 12, 2026
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University of Dayton’s FY2025 net position: $1.759 billion

University of Dayton Chapel of the Immaculate Conception in Autumn No. 2 | Art of Frozen Time

“Standard” History

Standards Ohio

The University of Dayton is a private, Catholic research university in Dayton, Ohio. Founded in 1850 by the Society of Mary, it is one of three Marianist universities in the nation and the second-largest private university in Ohio. The university’s campus is in the city’s southern portion and spans 388 acres on both sides of the Great Miami River. The campus is noted for the Immaculate Conception Chapel and the University of Dayton Arena.

Graduation, Dating, Engagements, Weddings, Births & Obituaries

October 12, 2026
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“The family is one of nature’s masterpieces.”

— George Santayana

“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”

— Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, trans. Constance Garnett



‘In the end, it is character that decides . things, not intellect alone.’ (C.P. Snow, ‘The Masters’, 1951)


Michigan State University

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Weddings

 



Nine years later and first day as husband and wife they got to finally sneak a kiss in one of the first places they ever passed notes

Hun School Of Princeton

“…I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.” –W.B. Yeats | ‘He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’

“Nature’s Masterpiece”

Several colleges and universities have “kissing benches” or similar traditions tied to romance on campus.

Michigan State University Beaumont Tower: Nick and Myra Kanillopoulos

Syracuse University. Kissing Bench: This bench on the Quad is steeped in tradition. Legend has it that if a couple kisses on the bench, they will eventually marry. Conversely, if a single person sits there alone, they risk staying single forever.

University of Idaho.  Hello Walk and Kissing Rock: While not a bench, this area on campus features a large rock where students have historically kissed. It’s a romantic tradition for couples at the university.

Florida State University Kissing Bench

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Clemson University Lover’s Lane

Illinois State University

University of Cambridge: St. John’s College Bridge of Sighs

University of Oxford: The Bridge of Sighs

University of Bath Somerset County: Sham Castle

Weddings

Sport News

October 12, 2026
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The Catch, The Catch, The Catch

Tom Brady joins Delta Air Lines as strategic adviser in first-of-its-kind multiyear partnership

Tom Brady joins Delta Air Lines as strategic adviser in first-of-its-kind multiyear partnership

“Man’s life is brief, but through contests he touches the eternal.”

— Pindar, ‘Nemean Ode 6.23-24’

Michigan State University | Ingham County

Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Skiing Association

College Bowl Games

Fernando Mendoza’s post game interview after winning the Big Ten
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Michigan Girl, Our Michigan Girl….

Sport Standards

 

 

Mixed Gender Sport by Design

Engineering in Sport



“Rowing is more poetry than sport.” — George Pocock (‘Boys in the Boat’ 2024), a British-born boat builder, rowing coach, and influential figure in American rowing, best known for his craftsmanship of racing shells and his philosophical approach to the sport.

Winter Sport

“There is no greater glory for a man than that which he wins with his own hands and feet.” (Homer, Iliad c. 8th Century BCE)

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