MPSC Archives - Standards Michigan

Michigan Electrical Administrative Act §338.883

The requirement for a licensed electrician and a certified inspector to perform and certify any electrical work above $100 is prohibitive for homeowners and facility managers. To the best of our knowledge, no other US state imposes this requirement. There are more efficacious approaches to supporting effective public electrical safety services.

Licensing and Regulatory Affairs | Electrical Administrative Board

Next Meeting: February 13, 2025 10:00 am

Meeting Minutes: May 2, 2024

Meeting Minutes: August 8, 2024 (not yet available)

Meeting Minutes: October 31, 2024 (submittals for agenda items due September 26th)

Michigan Public Service Commission

MPSC takes next steps in enabling interconnection and distributed energy resources

Of considerable importance is the criteria set by this board to determine whether a journeyman electrician is permitted to practice his or her trade in the State of Michigan.

We have been advocating for changes to the State of Michigan Electrical Administrative Act that currently requires all electrical work valued above $100 to be installed by a licensed journeyman electrician and inspected by an accredited electrical inspector. The $100 threshold was set decades ago and has never been challenged by another other advocacy enterprise representing the user interest. Almost all of the stakeholders on the present Electrical Administrative Board are stakeholders who benefit economically from the $100 threshold. Much of the reason for the apparent imbalance of interests lies in tradition; but also because no user interest has been present to advocate for an update of the formal, fee schedule.

This advocacy priority was on the Do-List of the original University of Michigan codes and standards advocacy enterprise which was focused on strengthening the voice of the user/owner/final fiduciary in the promulgation of regulations affecting Michigan educational facilities (CLICK HERE for link to the legacy Advocacy Project 14-1). Of all the trades covered in the parent legislation — Stille-Derossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (Act 230 of 1972) — the electrical power discipline is the only discipline in Michigan building technology regulations that sets a dollar criteria for electrical work to be performed and inspected. While we recognize the need for safe installation of the electrical power chain within a building; we propose another criteria for establishing the requirement for a licensed electrician and a licensed inspector should be determined (as it is in all other construction disciplines administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes, a division of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs).

The actual text of the present regulation is available by clicking here: 338.881 Definitions | Electrical Administrative Act 217 of 1956

Father Marquette

As a consequence of former Governor Snyder’s Office of Regulatory Reinvention significant changes to both the Bureau of Construction Codes, a division of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) have taken place within the past twelve months; which make us optimistic about political support for our proposals. We will be collaborating with our colleagues at Michigan State University to make necessary legislative changes we believe will lower the #TotalCostofOwnership of education facilities in the State of Michigan.

We will refer the Michigan Electric Code, and other state electrical codes to the IEEE Education and Healthcare Facilities Committee which hosts bi-weekly breakout teleconferences with electrical professionals in the education facilities industry as required by the demand for them.

Electrical Administrative Board Responsibilities and Meeting Schedule

The next meeting of the Michigan Electrical Board is November 2nd. We have been attending the meetings in Lansing and have made our proposal to revisit the dollar criteria known to the entire board. We hope the Electrical Administrative Board will develop another criteria; inspired by the electrical administrative boards of other states.