How to Join the NESC

The NESC is a consensus standard that depends on the involvement of motivated volunteers to provide the industry with accurate and impactful guidance. The NESC code-making process is well defined and clearly structured, with guiding principles that help ensure the inclusion of all viewpoints during an open and fair process for reaching agreement and resolution.

Organizationally, the NESC has a central oversight Main Committee made up of a well-balanced representation of member organizations, along with seven standing technical subcommittees which are maintained to provide recommended revisions to NESC rules for the Main Committee.

The technical subcommittees meet to create change proposals, consider change proposals submitted by others, and are empowered to establish Working Groups and Task Forces to conduct in-depth research on specific technical topics and issues.

The NESC’s core principles of inclusion and openness also extend to the public, with any interested party being able to submit their ideas for a new rule or modification of an existing rule. In addition to actively soliciting input from all NESC members, an ‘open comment’ period is built into each revision cycle to help ensure the broadest possible set of perspectives.

Members of the Main Committee shall be organizations, associations, and government agencies which are national in scope and have a direct and material interest in the activities of the Main Committee.

• CPR: Communications Private Sector
• EPR: Electric Private Sector
• EPU: Electric Public Sector
• CPU: Communications Public Sector
• ECL: Electric and Communications Labor
• GOV: Government
• CEC: Consulting, Engineering and Construction
• CG: Consumer and Government
• GI: General Interest will include:
  • I: Insurance Representatives
  • IEO: Independent Electric Operators
  • M: Manufacturers
  • PS: Professional Societies

• Revising and/or maintaining the NESC;
• Establishing or disbanding Technical Subcommittees, working groups or task forces;
• Voting on approval of revisions to the NESC proposed by the technical subcommittees;
• Adopting Main Committee procedures and revisions thereof;
• The addition or termination of Main Committee member organizations;
• Other matters requiring Main committee action

Representatives of companies, associations, organizations, government organizations or qualified self employed consultants are eligible for membership on any Technical Subcommittee 2-8. Each member should fall within one specific interest category, and each category shall be balanced with no one category exceeding 1/3 of the membership.

• CPR: Communications Private Sector
• EPR: Electric Private Sector
• EPU: Electric Public Sector
• CPU: Communications Public Sector
• ECL: Electric and Communications Labor
• GOV: Government
• CEC: Consulting, Engineering and Construction
• GI: General Interest will include:
  • OU: Other Utilities (non-electric or non-communications)
  • M: Manufacturers
  • IEO: Independent Electric Operators
  • I: Insurance Representatives

• Voting on change proposals submitted to the technical subcommittee.
• Forming Working Groups and Task Forces as needed to create, evaluate and consider all aspects of a technical topic or change proposal;
• As delegated by the Executive Subcommittee, the subcommittees are responsible for the consideration of ballots with negative comments resulting from the Main Committee letter ballot on the approval of the proposed revision of the NESC;
• Assisting the Main Committee, as required (e.g., drafting all or a portion of the NESC, drafting responses to comments, drafting positions on international standards, or other purely advisory functions).

*See the National Electrical Safety Code Procedures for the Review and Revision of The National Electrical Safety Code American National Standard C2 for membership requirements.