CMP-10 is a very well-organized and knowledgeable panel, with representation from many organizations including IAIE, IEC, IEEE, IBEW, EEI, ACC, NETA, UL, NEMA, and NECA. This diverse group brings various points of view to the code-making process.
For the 2023 cycle, Nathan Philips has been appointed chair of CMP-10. This will be Nathan’s first code cycle (2023) as chair. Nathan is a member of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and previously served as an Alternate on Code Making Panel 10 on the 2020 code cycle.
Due to significant effort by members of the panel in preparing suggested panel statements and Nathan’s work in organizing the comments in a logical order to be addressed by the panel, the panel formed three separate task groups meeting from 10/12/2020 through 11/20/2020 on Mondays and Fridays, two hours per task group session. This allowed the committee to work through the 322 public input statements and proposed first draft comments in three days at the first draft meeting.
The first draft meeting took place December 7–9, 2020, via a video conference using Microsoft’s Teams platform. There were a few Public Inputs that would be of particular interest to NETA members. Some of these were rejected unanimously by the panel and therefore will have no impact on NETA at this stage of the code-making process.
Committee Update
Some actions taken during the first draft meeting would be of particular interest to NETA members. The following First Revisions were proposed and passed. The items that passed must be reviewed as do all committee actions prior to the first draft committee report scheduled to be published July 2, 2021. The public comment closing date for the first draft report will be August 19, 2021. The dates for the second draft meetings have not been published as of this report.
Definitions
First Revision 7845 NFPA-2020
100, Short Circuit
An abnormal connection (including an arc) of relatively low impedance, whether made accidentally or intentionally, between two or more points of different potential. (CMP-10)
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Wed Dec 09 16:49:16 EST 2020
Committee Statement: The definition is added to improve the usability of the code. The words “or more” were added to recognize that more than two conductors could be involved in a short circuit. The Informational Note is not included because it does not increase usability.
Response Message: FR-7845-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 3349-NFPA 70-2020 [New Definition after Definition: Service Point.]
Public Input No. 3356-NFPA 70-2020 [New Definition after Definition: Service Point.]
Public Input No. 4269-NFPA 70-2020 [New Article after 100]
Article 215
215.9 Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupter Protection for Personnel
Feeders shall be permitted to be protected by a listed ground-fault circuit interrupter installed in a readily accessible location in lieu of the provisions for such interrupters as specified in 210.8 and 590.6(A).
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Mon Dec 07 10:51:35 EST 2020
Committee Statement: This revision mandates that GFCI protection be listed.
Response Message: FR-7686-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 2209-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 215.9]
215.15 Barriers
Barriers shall be placed such that no uninsulated, ungrounded busbar or terminal is exposed to inadvertent contact by persons or maintenance equipment while servicing load terminations in panelboards, switchboards, switchgear, or motor control centers supplied by feeder taps in 240.21(B) or transformer secondary conductors in 240.21(C) with the disconnecting device, to which the tap conductors are terminated, in the open position.
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Mon Dec 07 11:12:21 EST 2020
Committee Statement: This revision adds a new section to reduce the hazards that exist when creating an electrically safe work condition in equipment supplied by tap conductors. The new requirement for barriers to provide protection against inadvertent contact mirrors the requirements in 230.62(C). This requirement is limited to panelboards, switchboards, switchgear, or motor control centers supplied by feeder taps in 240.21(B) or transformer secondary conductors in 240.21(C). Where the tap rules are applied, it is unlikely that the source of supply to the OCPD can be de-energized during maintenance and other tasks. This revision ensures the exposed energized parts on the line side of the OCPD are protected against inadvertent contact. When the disconnecting device to which the tap conductors are terminated is in the open position, the likelihood of contact with energized parts is significantly reduced.
Response Message: FR-7688-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 2878-NFPA 70-2020 [New Section after 215.12]
Public Input No. 3346-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 215.11]
Article 230
230.95 Ground Fault Protection of Equipment
First Revision No. 8196-NFPA 70-2020 [ Section No. 230.95 [Excluding any Sub-Sections] ] Ground-fault protection of equipment shall be provided for solidly grounded wye electric services of more than 150 volts to ground but not exceeding 1,000 volts phase-to-phase for each service disconnect rated 800 amperes or more. The grounded conductor for the solidly grounded wye system shall be connected directly to ground through a grounding electrode system, as specified in 250.50, without inserting any resistor or impedance device.
The rating of the service disconnect shall be considered to be the rating of the largest fuse that can be installed or the highest continuous current trip setting for which the actual overcurrent device installed in a circuit breaker is rated or can be adjusted.
Exception: The ground-fault protection provisions of this section shall not apply to a service disconnect for a continuous industrial process where a nonorderly shutdown will introduce additional or increased hazards.
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Thu Dec 17 12:30:54 EST 2020
Committee Statement: The language is revised to reduce the current level from 1,000 A to 800 A.
Response Message: FR-8196-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 3352-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 230.95]
Article 240
240.11 Selective Coordination
If one or more feeder overcurrent protective devices are required to be selectively coordinated with a service overcurrent protective device by other requirements in this Code, all feeder overcurrent protective devices supplied directly by the service overcurrent protective device shall be selectively coordinated with the service overcurrent protective device.
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Wed Dec 09 08:18:10 EST 2020
Committee Statement: The existing NEC allows an overcurrent condition on one of the feeders that are not required to selectively coordinated with the service device, to open the service overcurrent device. This revision assures that the service overcurrent protective device is less likely to open due to an overcurrent condition on a feeder that is not currently required to selectively coordinate with the service overcurrent protective device.
Response Message: FR-7807-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 691-NFPA 70-2020 [New Section after 240.10]
240.13 Ground-Fault Protection of Equipment
(A) General. Ground-fault protection of equipment shall be provided in accordance with 230.95 for solidly grounded wye electrical systems of more than 150 volts to ground but not exceeding 1,000 volts phase-to-phase for each individual device used as a building or structure main disconnecting means rated 1,000 amperes or more.
This section shall not apply to the disconnecting means for the following:
- Continuous industrial processes where a nonorderly shutdown will introduce additional or increased hazards
- Installations where ground-fault protection is provided by other requirements for services or feeders
- Fire pumps
- (B) Reconditioned Equipment: Equipment providing ground-fault protection of equipment shall not be permitted to be reconditioned.
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Wed Dec 09 15:03:58 EST 2020
Committee Statement: Reconditioning GFPE is not dependent upon where these devices are installed. This section is being revised to establish the general requirement for all equipment that provides GFPE not to be reconditioned and all equipment that provides GFPE to be listed. Response Message: FR-7829-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 3612-NFPA 70-2020 [New Section after 230.67]
Public Input No. 3611-NFPA 70-2020 [New Section after 215.7]
Part VI Cartridge Fuses and Fuseholders
240.67 Arc Energy Reduction
Where fuses rated 1,000 A or higher are installed, 240.67(A), (B), and (C) shall apply.
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Wed Dec 09 15:48:47 EST 2020
Committee Statement: This revision editorially deletes the delayed implementation date and adds a reference to first level subdivision (C) in the parent text.
Arc energy reduction requirements for circuit breakers rated at 1,200 amps have been in the NEC since the 2011 edition. Means, methods and technologies to provide arc energy reduction for circuit breakers and fuses rated 1,200 amps or more have increased significantly. Therefore, the level of protection is increased by reducing the value to protect all to 1,000-amp installations.
Response Message: FR-7834-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 1889-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.67 [Excluding any Sub-Sections]
Public Input No. 317-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.67]
Public Input No. 2886-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.67 [Excluding any Sub-Sections]
Part VII Circuit Breakers
240.87 Arc Energy Reduction
First Revision No. 7818-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.87 [Excluding any Sub-Sections]
Where the highest continuous current trip setting for which the actual overcurrent device installed in a circuit breaker is rated or can be adjusted is 1,000 A or higher, 240.87(A), (B), and (C) shall apply.
Submitter Information Verification
Committee: NEC-P10
Submittal Date: Wed Dec 09 11:03:43 EST 2020
Committee Statement: This revision editorially deletes the delayed implementation date and adds a reference to first level subdivision (C) in the parent text.
Arc energy reduction requirements for circuit breakers rated at 1,200 amps have been in the NEC since the 2011 edition. Means, methods and technologies to provide arc energy reduction for circuit breakers and fuses rated 1,200 amps or more have increased significantly. Therefore, the level of protection is increased by reducing the value to protect all to 1,000-amp installations.
Response Message: FR-7818-NFPA 70-2020
Public Input No. 316-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.87]
Public Input No. 1890-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.87 [Excluding any Sub-Sections]
Public Input No. 2867-NFPA 70-2020 [Section No. 240.87 [Excluding any Sub-Sections]
Summary
We are in the early stages of the code-making process; the actions taken by the CMP 10 will be reviewed and posted in the First Draft Report on July 2, 2021. The report will be out for public comment with a closing date of August 19, 2021. The Second Draft meeting dates for CMP 10 have not been scheduled as of the writing of this report.
Scott Blizard has been the Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of American Electrical Testing Co., Inc. since 2000. During his tenure, Scott also acted as the Corporate Safety Officer for nine years. He has over 25 years of experience in the field as a Master Electrician, Journeyman, Wireman, and NETA Level IV Senior Technician.