EEI International Standards Seminar

The increasing importance of international factors in standards development was addressed by more than twenty recently appointed EEI Technical Contacts to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) U.S. Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) at an EEI Seminar on March 28. They met with a like number of representatives from the major standards developing organizations, members of the EEI Standards Coordinating Committee, and EEI staff to discuss electric utility industry involvement in international standardization and EEl´s role. The EEI Technical Contacts are the official EEI representatives to U.S. TAGs for 27 IEC Committees and Subcommittees that have been identified by the Codes and Standards Executive Advisory Committee (EAC) as being particularly pertinent to electric utility interests. The EEI representatives will actively participate in seventeen TAGs and monitor the remainder. This effort is administered by the EEI Standards Coordinating Committee and is the major element of a comprehensive EEI program to assess the significance and effectiveness of U.S. international standardization activities and the level of electric utility participation that may be warranted. Howard Huggett, Chairman of the Codes and Standards EAC, explained how a study was commissioned by that committee which concluded that international standards were beginning to be more influential in domestic standards development and commerce. This influence is expected to grow. Mr. Huggett emphasized that cost effectiveness was an inherent requirement in all aspects of this EEI project. Early in 1985, recommendations on EEl´s long term role will be made to the Institute´s Policy Committee.