The National Electrical Safety Code (NESC) Main Committee is well into the revision process for the 2017 edition, due to be published Aug. 1, 2016.


However, there is a difference this time. Beyond looking short-term at some changes for the next revision, the committee is looking further into the future—in fact, 100 years down the road.


In late April, the IEEE Standards Association, of which the NESC is a part, hosted the inaugural NESC Summit in Alexandria, Va., to celebrate the first century of the NESC (initially published in 1915) and plan for the coming one.


In his opening remarks at the summit, Mike Hyland, chair of the NESC, stated, “We come together to look forward to the next 100 years of the NESC, and discuss how the NESC can address future needs of the industries that it serves, from both a technical and procedural perspective.” 


The summit then launched into dialogue and presentations, focusing on resiliency, safety, reliability, installation, operation and maintenance.


The summit document noted: “The purpose of the NESC is the practical safeguarding of persons, utility facilities, and affected property during the installation, operation, and maintenance of electrical supply and communication facilities, under specified conditions.”


As for the 2017 edition, May 1 was the final date to submit comments on change proposals. The NESC subcommittees will reconsider all comments and recommendations and prepare a final report in September and October. 


On Jan. 15, 2016, the proposed revision will be submitted to the NESC Committee for letter ballot and to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for concurrent public review. On May 15, 2016, the approved revisions will be submitted to ANSI for recognition as an ANSI standard. 


Users can purchase the “Preprint Proposals for the 2017 Edition of the National Electrical Safety Code” at www.techstreet.com/ieee/products/1880648.


And, of course, the industry will actively seek input from interested parties on what the NESC will look like even beyond the 2017 edition.