For decades, application of the National Electrical Code resulted in unused capacity in all occupancy classes. Catalyzed by the University of Michigan, with collaborators at the University of Houston, the 2014 NEC was revised to provide an exception in Section 220.12 that permits designers to reduce the size of the power chain to lighting loads. It is a conservative, incremental step toward oversized power chains; saving 10’s of millions of dollars annually for the education industry and others. Public consultation on the 2026 closes 7 September 2022.