The State of Minnesota is adopting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70 National Electrical Code, 2020.  The city needs to adopt this code by reference.  The State has held a number of meetings with builders for comments on the code and has decided to adopt the code unamended for the State of Minnesota.  The State is currently operating under the 2017 Code. The new Code is effective November 17, 2020.  The city provides local electrical inspection and plan review.

The National Electrical Code was first adopted in 1897 and has been updated on a regular basis based on field experience and changes in technology.  Codes are modified about every three years.  The major changes to the 2020 code are highlighted:

· Exterior Emergency Disconnects: Helps to improve electrical safety for emergency respondersat one- and two-family dwelling installations.

· Deenergizing Panel Boards: Revises service disconnect rules to help increase electrical worker safety.

· Marinas and Boatyards: Updates ground-fault protection and leakage-current measurement device requirements.

· Power Over Ethernet: Adapts NEC requirements to meet the installation practices of new and evolving technologies.

· Conducting Load Calculations: Modernizes the tables currently in use for calculations to reflect improvements in energy efficiency.

· Reorganization of Article 310: Includes new user friendly numbering for important ampacity tables

· New general requirement: Covering cables installed exposed on ceiling surfaces and sidewalls 

Also, the code now has new GFCI requirements.  In dwellings, the code now extends the GFCI requirement to 125-volt and 250-volt receptacles in finished and unfinished basements, within six feet of a sink, and laundry areas. For example, with this new criteria, electric dryers and kitchen ranges within six feet of a sink will require GFCI. It’s worth noting that many dryers and ranges come with connected neutral and ground wires that must be separated for GFCI protection.

GFCI protection is now required for appliances such as sump pumps and dishwashers, equipment service receptacles, marinas, and pool pumps, in all residential and commercial spaces.

The code now requires either Type 1 or Type 2 surge protection for services supplying all dwelling units, including single- and two-family and multi-family residences. Surge protection devices must be located within the service equipment or adjacent to it. To keep the surge protection closer to the protected loads, particularly in a multi-family unit, the surge protection device can be installed at each dwelling’s load center or panelboard.

Why is whole-home surge protection now mandatory, even for repaired or replaced equipment? This code change was made to safeguard vital safety-focused electronics in a household, such as GFCI devices, smoke alarms, and heat detectors.