NFPA Journal - Summer 2022 - 66

NEC
to ensure that GFCI protection was
accomplished at the branch circuit or
outlet for these appliances and was
not dependent upon factory-installed
GFCI protection in the appliance cord,
which would not be within the purview
of the NEC.
In the 2020 NEC, section 210.52(C)
(2), regarding receptacle outlet
requirements for island and peninsular
countertops, had a major
revision that required one receptacle
outlet for the first 9 square feet, or
fraction thereof, of the countertop
or work surface. It also required a
receptacle outlet for every additional
18 square feet, or fraction thereof, of
the countertop or work surface. Once
again, this section had public inputs
submitted during the 2023 cycle to
further modify the receptacle outlet
requirements for island and peninsular
countertops.
While CMP-2 made some slight
revisions around section 210.52(C)(2)
during the first draft of the 2023 NEC,
the second revision included a major
modification recommended for the
section. As proposed, the revised version
of 210.52(C)(2) would essentially
make all island and peninsular countertop
receptacle outlet installations
optional. If installed, they would either
be required to be installed in the backsplash
if the countertop were tiered, or
within the countertop itself by using
an assembly listed for the application.
If a receptacle outlet is not installed
initially to serve an island or peninsular
countertop, provisions must
exist for a future receptacle outlet to
be installed. The proposed language
would no longer permit receptacle
outlets to be installed below the countertop
level of an island or peninsular
countertop. This arose from a number
of accidents where children, in particular,
were injured by small appliances
such as crockpots that were pulled off
the countertop by the power cord that
snaked over the side of the counter
to the outlet underneath. The CMP's
intent is to keep power cords on the
counter surface. All things considered,
this would be a major swing of the
pendulum for this section between the
2020 and 2023 NEC cycles.
66 | NFPA JOURNAL * SUMMER 2022
Special occupancies
The cannabis industry has grown
rapidly in the United States in recent
years. Eighteen states have approved
recreational use of marijuana, and a
number of others have approved it for
medicinal purposes. Demand for the
product has created the need for commercial
and industrial facilities where
it can be safely grown, harvested, and
extracted.
As part of the process that extracts
cannabis oil, flammable materials are
often used that can pose a hazard to
facility workers and anyone who may
need to respond to emergencies in
those facilities, such as firefighters.
In an effort to increase safety for all
involved, the 2023
NEC is poised to
introduce new
Article 512 Cannabis
Oil Equipment
and Cannabis Oil
Systems Using
Flammable Materinfpa.org/
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more about
the development
of the 2023
National Electrical
Code.
als. As would be expected, cannabis oil
extraction is considered hazardous and
is therefore proposed to be added to
NEC Chapter 5 where other hazardous
location articles are.
Additionally, as was previously mentioned,
section 230.85 was added to the
2020 NEC to address emergency disconnect
installation for one- and two-family
dwellings. These disconnects were called
for as a means to assist first responders
with safely shutting down power prior
to entering the premises. The safety of
first responders is not unique to homes,
of course, and that has been proposed to
be further addressed in the 2023 NEC in
the area of marinas and similar facilities
covered under Article 555. New section
555.36(C) has been proposed to require
a listed emergency shutoff device or
electrical disconnect, clearly marked as
" Emergency Shutoff, " to be installed at
each marina power outlet or enclosure
that provides shore power to boats.
While having these means in place for
emergency disconnecting will certainly
assist first responders, they could also
benefit potential victims of electric
shock drowning, also known as ESD.
[For more on ESD hazards, see " In Compliance "
in this issue.] Having a nearby,
readily accessible means to disconnect
shore power where an individual may
be in the water and experiencing ESD
could provide the seconds of difference
between life and death.
Alternative energy,
cybersecurity, and
developing technology
Alternative energy, cybersecurity needs,
and developing technology seem to be
everywhere in today's world. As those
changes expand and evolve, the NEC
must adapt to ensure that installations
in those areas are done as safely as
possible.
The idea of installing photovoltaic
(PV) arrays on bodies of water has
started to gain traction. At the moment,
however, there is no mention in the
NEC of PV arrays that are installed
on bodies of water, and therefore no
inspectional guidelines for use by the
authority having jurisdiction (AHJ).
The proximity of electricity and water,
along with factors including humidity,
corrosion, and movement that accompany
these installations, constitute
potential hazards and suggest a need
for code language addressing waterborne
PV arrays.
For the 2023 NEC, Article 690 Solar
Photovoltaic (PV) Systems includes a
proposed new section 690.4(G) that
provides initial guidance for PV equipment
that is installed on bodies of
water. Specifically, the section would
require that PV floating on, or that
is attached to structures floating on,
bodies of water must be identified
as suitable for the purpose and that
it utilize wiring methods that allow
for any expected movement, such as
the motion generated by waves or
strong currents. While this is likely
just a starting point for what may
follow in future NEC cycles, it provides
some initial information on the
requirements that designers, installers,
and AHJs should meet in these
applications.
The 2023 NEC cycle has proposed
the introduction of a new term in the
code: cybersecurity. Without question,
we inhabit a digital information world,
and threats to that information are all
around us. Exposure is not limited to
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NFPA Journal - Summer 2022

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