IEEE Announces 2022 National Electrical Safety Code® (NESC®) Preprint Available for Open Public Commentary

PISCATAWAY, NJ, 11 July 2019 – IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity, and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA) today announced the availability of the 2022 NESC Preprint containing more than 500 change proposals and initial NESC Subcommittee recommendations. The release of the NESC Preprint initiates an 8-month window for public commentary that closes on 1 March 2020 that will help shape final recommendations made by NESC Technical Subcommittees to form the finalized 2022 NESC.

“Soliciting the broadest range of input to the NESC has proven to be fundamental to our efforts of staying abreast of emerging technologies and sharing the most comprehensive and useful safety principles on a global scale,” said Nelson Bingel, chair, NESC. “We encourage all stakeholders from the utility and telecommunications industries involved in advancing electrical safety to review the many change proposals contained within the Preprint, as their valued input will have a direct impact on the final content of the 2022 NESC.”

As the definitive safety standard for more than a century, the NESC continues to be the go-to resource for utility companies of all sizes and ownership structures. Published as a voluntary standard in the United States, the NESC is typically adopted into law by individual state legislatures and public utility commissions and at the federal level for all cooperatives financed by the Rural Utilities Service (USDA). Outside of the U.S., the NESC is used as an authoritative reference in over 100 countries around the world.

The 2022 NESC Preprint addresses several key topics through change proposals, including:

• A comprehensive revision of Section 14, Storage Batteries, to recognize new battery technologies, applications, and their hazards
• A new section covering new and emerging electric generation station technologies focusing on photovoltaic (PV) generating stations
• Strength and loading rules addressing wind maps, ice maps, 60-foot exclusion, etc.

Initial 2022 recommendations will be presented at the NESC Workshop to be held 2-3 October 2019, in Kansas City, Missouri. The workshop will feature keynote speaker Michael Deggendorf, CEO, Grid Assurance, sharing current industry information and insights from more than 30 years of experience in the energy and telecommunications industries. The workshop also presents a unique opportunity for the NESC community to hear about key change proposals and to provide input that will help to determine the content of the 2022 edition. The workshop will have an open forum, including speakers, panels, and round table discussions addressing significant industry issues.

The NESC is published exclusively by IEEE and updated every 5 years to stay current with changes in the industry and technology. The Code sets the ground rules and guidelines for practical safeguarding of utility workers and the public during the installation, operation, and maintenance of electric supply, communication lines and associated equipment.

The 2020 NESC Preprint is available for purchase at the IEEE Standards Store.

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