From Low Voltage to Limited Energy: What the 2026 NEC Really Changes

We break down NEC 2026 with a focus on clarity, consistency, and how the reorganization impacts limited energy systems from design to inspection. Chapter 8 loses independence, new Articles 720–723, 742, and 750 reshape daily practice, and Class 4 power takes a step forward.

• purpose of the NEC as safety and minimum construction quality
• how the code is structured and why legal language confuses
• role and variety of AHJs and why interpretation matters
• end of Chapter 8 independence and why it changes workflows
• shift from low voltage to limited energy terminology
• deletion and migration of 770, 805, 840 content into new articles
• overview of Articles 720, 721, 722, 723, 742, 750
• class 4 fault-managed power fundamentals and benefits
• alignment between electrical and ICT trades for inspections
• adoption timelines and why to learn 2026 early
• what installers, PMs, and estimators should update now

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome, Updates, and Housekeeping
• 2:00 Why the NEC Exists and Matters
• 5:00 How the Code Is Structured Today
• 7:30 AHJs, Interpretation, and Safety
• 8:06 Community Spotlight: Low Voltage Nation
• 9:01 The Intent Behind 2026 Changes
• 11:40 Chapter 8 Loses Independence
• 14:00 New Terminology: Limited Energy
• 16:20 Reorganizing Chapters 7 and 8
• 19:20 New Articles 720–723, 742, 750
• 22:00 Class 4 Fault-Managed Power
• 25:00 Scope Shift: Outside Plant vs Inside

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Hey my monkeys, welcome to another episode of the Let Star Cabling. The 2026 cable is out. We're connecting at the human level so that we can connect the world. If you're watching this show on YouTube, would you mind hitting the subscribe button and the bell button to be notified when new content is being produced? If you're listening to us on one of the audio podcast platforms, would you mind giving us a five-star rating? And if it's not a five-star rated show, reach out to me and let me know what I can do to make this a five-star rated show. Wednesday night, 6 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, what are you doing? You know we do a live stream on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and anywhere I can figure out where to say to send a live stream where you get to ask your favorite RCDD questions on installation, design, project management. I even do career path questions. Relax. I record them and you can watch them at your convenience. Also, while this show is free and will always remain free. If you find value in this content, would you click on that QR code right there? You can buy me a cup of coffee, you can schedule a 15-minute one-on-one call with me after hours, of course. Or you can buy even some Let's Talk Cabling merchandise. Well, it's that time of the season again. Case you didn't know this. Every three years, the NEC gets updated. And it just got updated. We are now in the 2026 code book. And it's not just for electricians, it's for everybody from low voltage to security to fire alarm. Any low voltage professional, any low voltage professional. And this code is going to define how we install, how we inspect, how we stay compliant with that ever pesky AHJ, the authority having jurisdiction. But here's the sad reality. Many in our field, the low voltage world, never even crack open a code book. The code book that governs their daily functions, their daily work. Let's fix that. So, first off, this show's gonna be broken into three parts. The first part is just kind of a recap: what is the code book for those who may not know, or so with new people watching the show. The second part will go into actually dive into what's actually changed in the 2026 code book. And then the final section is how this is really going to affect you. So the first part, what is NFPA 70 or the National Electrical Code Book? All documents are NFPA. The 70 is the National Electrical Code Book. Again, it's revised every three years, like we mentioned earlier. And a lot of people don't know this. The code book has been around for a long time. It's been around since ready for this since 1897. 1897, not even this century. It's been around for a long time. If you ever happen to find an 1897 original code book, they're worth$5,000. They're worth a chunk of change. A chunk of change. And then also, a lot of people don't realize this either is the code book. If you actually open up the cover in the code book, go to the very bottom paragraph. Usually that first sentence says something similar to the effect of, as far as the NFPA is concerned, this book is voluntary. Voluntary. Yeah, let that think for a minute. But what does it do? It sets minimum qualities of construction. It's just for safety. You want a proof of that? Go read Article 90.1, paragraph F1, and paragraph two. The code contains provisions they consider necessary to reduce the hazards to people and property from the use of electricity. And then it goes on to tell us that the code book is for safety. For safety. And the current code book, all the way up to the 2026 code book, is divided into nine major sections. The first section is chapters one through three. Inside each of those chapters, you have articles. Some things apply to us in chapters one through three. Article 250 for bonding and grounding. It tells us if you're putting in a ground electrode, how you have to, it tells us how many ohms of resistance is God measured to. And if you can't achieve that ohm, it's 25. Okay, no, you got to put in a second rod. Article 300, there's lots of stuff that applies to us in Article 300. One that just came up today was Article 300.11, paragraphs one and paragraph two. I'm sorry, paragraph B, subsection one, subsection two. Because I got asked a question today about independent wires, jayooks, and should both ends be anchored? You'll find those answers, like I said, in 300.11, paragraph B. Just go read it. I'm not going to do today's show about it. And then the next major sections, chapters four through seven. Those are special circumstances, special conditions. Inside those sections, there are several sections that apply to us. Article 725 for PoE stuff. Article 726 for limited power, fault managed power systems, digital electricity. Article 770 for fiber optic cabling. The next major section is chapter 8. That's where we find Article 800, 805, 810, and a bunch of others apply to us. Currently in the 2023 code book, chapter 8 is an independent section, meaning the only time things apply to you outside of the code book is if it gets referenced inside chapter 8. And then the last section is the appendixes in the back. That's where you find your fill ratios and stuff like that. But one of the things that I've always had a rub with, with the whole chapter eight being independent, a lot of technicians, again, like I said earlier, who have not read what the code book says will say, oh, but that doesn't apply to us because it's not in chapter eight. If you're doing something like installing conduit, installing ladder rack, installing cable track, there are sections you better read and you better go understand because they do apply to you, but they won't show up in chapter eight or article 800, 805, 810, or any one of those other ones. So not only is the the code book long and written in a very confusing manner, it's written in what I call legal ease. It's not written in layman's terms. For example, when you talk about architectural assemblies, what's an architectural assembly? You have to go look up the code book, it is so confusing, it has a section in it that's just a definition section, Article 100. So if you're reading through the code book, you can actually go look up words. And some of the sections even have definitions inside the beginning of that section because it may have an additional meaning. All this confusion leads to confusion, leads to different ways that something can be interpreted. But let's be honest here. The only interpretation that really matters in this scenario is the AHJ, the authority having jurisdiction, or the electrical inspector. Now, the electrical inspector is one AHJ. There are other AHJs. The fire investigator can be considered an AHJ. Somebody who works for the insurance company that's insuring that hospital may also be considered an AHJ. So you got to follow what they say because codes is for safety or minimum quality of construction. You don't have a choice in the matter.

SPEAKER_00: 7:58

Whether you're pulling your first cable or managing multi-million dollar installs, you're not alone. Welcome to Low Voltage Nation, the largest, most active community of low voltage pros in the game. With over 176,000 members on Facebook and growing, this is where ICT professionals connect, collaborate, and level up together. Got a question? You'll get answers from real text with real experience. Facing a job site challenge? Someone here has solved it and will show you how. From fiber to access control, estimating to entrepreneurship. Low Voltage Nation is your power network. This isn't just another group, it's a movement. Join the community today at LowVoltagenation.com or jump into the conversation at our Facebook group. Because in this industry, the strongest signal comes from those who connect.

SPEAKER_01: 9:01

So we've been talking about the 2026 code book for a long time. There's a lot of fear, a lot of misconfusion about it. Oh my gosh, what are they doing? Were they changed? They're changing everything. But the but the intent of the change book in the 2026 code book, according to the class that I sat in on, was to bring clarity, to bring consistency, and to modernize how communication systems are going to be installed, handled, and even eventually inspected. So let's take a look at what's actually changing in the 2026 code book and why you should care, because you really should, because you're in this business, you need to know what the code book is telling you to tell to do. So one of the confusions is AHJs, authority having jurisdictions. How many of them are there? Now I got this number from sitting in a Bixie committee meeting right before COVID, the codes and standards meeting. And they said that there are over 50,000 AHJs. Each one of those 50,000 people, each one of those inspectors is going to have a different opinion. Some of them may even have multiple opinions, and that's going to cause problems for us. So let's talk about the 2026 code book. Because I learned this from sitting in a class at NECA. This is why you really should go to industry events. I hear I hear people complain about this all the time. When junk is a waste of money, I'm just gonna uh I'm just going there to golf. Okay, if you go to a Bixie conference, if you go to you know a Nika conference and you just go in there just to golf, don't get me wrong. Yeah, go have some fun, but also sit in the classes so that way you understand the new things coming down the pike. And that's why I did when I went to the Nika conference in Chicago, literally just a couple months ago, because they had one class about how the 2026 code book is changing. It was so important to me that I got up early and I took an Uber from the hotel over to Nika to actually attend this class. It was one of the first classes being taught that day. A lot of changes are coming down the pike. First thing I want to point out though, the 2026 code book doesn't reinvent the wheel. Okay, it just kind of organizes it a little bit differently. In the class that we I sat in, they said there's been some minor changes. By the way, you can actually read the 2026 code book right now. I'll put the link for it down below in the description where you can read a PDF copy of the 2026 code book for free. You heard me right, free. I also just purchased my 2026 code book. So hopefully it'll get here within a few days. Because when I'm reading to understand, I need a book in my hands. If I'm just searching for information, a PDF's fine for me. So if you want to know what's in the code book and you want to kind of verify all the stuff that I'm talking about here today, go ahead and go to the website in the description. The first thing it did, and this is a big one. Chapter eight's independence. Like I said, it's always stood on its own. It's done so since 1937. It's always been its own, separated from the other chapters. Chapter eight is no longer an independent section. They removed it to eliminate the confusions between chapter seven and chapter eight. And this comes again, I mentioned this earlier. I've said in a lot of classes where people say, well, the only section applies to us is chapter eight or article eight hundred. What about fiber optic cabling? That's not in chapter eight, that's article seven seventy. Already mentioned digital electricity. You saw me recently do a show on on uh distributed edge architecture. That's that's fault-managed power systems. Poe. Who hasn't done PoE at this point? That's Article 725. Another one outside of chapter eight. So they finally stripped that to eliminate some of the confusion. And I'm kind of I'm kind of glad they did that because it's gonna help eliminate some of those the some of the some of that confusion. The goal was consistent application for the rules of both communications and limited energy systems. That was the entire goal when this committee got together and they started looking at changing the code book. So that's that number one. They they they got rid of chapter eight independence. The second thing they did was they changed the name of our industry. We are no longer low voltage, we are now limited energy cable, limited energy integrators. And you hear me struggle with this over the next six months as I try to use the new term, but I guarantee you low voltage is going to come out, right? So they're putting that new definition in Article 100. I told you the definition section. So, what does limited energy cable mean? It's it refers to any factory assembly of conductors, copper conductors, or optical fiber strands for class two, class three, and class four circuits. This even includes cable TV and PLFA. Now, hopefully, this is going to simplify the way that our industry classifies cable to be able to organize it, install it, and be inspected. They also reorganized chapter 7 and chapter 8. They did a lot of changes in those two sections. The first thing they did was they deleted Article 770, the section for fiber optic cabling. They also deleted Article 805, which is uh communication circuits. They also deleted Article 840 for premise powerband. Now, when I say deleted, I don't mean they just hit the delete button and poof, it was gone. They deleted the majority of it, but they took out a lot of the information and they moved some of it into other articles to try to organize it a little better. So the first thing they did was they created article 720. That's gonna be general limited energy system insulation. Okay, that's where you're gonna find that definition of cabling. Article 721 is gonna be for limited power sources. Article 722 is gonna be limited energy cable. So a lot of the stuff that came out of 805 and 770 is now gonna be located in Article 722. And by the way, that section, article 722, is 45 pages long. That is huge for a coke book. Article 723 is gonna be the raceways and cable routing assembly. So, you know, again, I told you before, a lot of issues ran into where how do we put in our cable tray or conduit, our ladder rack that's now gonna be located in Article 722, start 723. Article 742 for over voltage protection for limited energy systems, and then article 750, which will be bonding and grounding for limited energy systems. So all of the requirements for bonding and grounding out of chapter eight that's specifically for low voltage or limited energy cabling, is now gonna be in Article 750. So then a lot of that stuff is being changed, and there's actually a really good table in the 2026 code book. And I'll make sure that I put a link to that table down in the comments below, which is gonna tell you where that information is found in the in the 2023 code book, where you can find it in a 2026 code book, and where is it going to be in the 2029 code book. Another thing they did is they took a close look at class four fault managed power systems. Again, it was first introduced in the code book in 2023. So the 2026 integrates that into the reorganized framework for the for the code book. It operates at 450 volts, which is to me sounds like it's a lot of voltage, but using active monitoring instead of using passive current limits. So again, you're gonna have that transceiver, you're gonna have that receiver, they're gonna communicate with each other, they're gonna create that handshake, and it's gonna have if you if they get three to five failed handshakes, it's going to trigger that that voltage to shut down. Now, when I say three to five handshakes, that's in milliseconds, milliseconds. So think of it as smart power, right? Smart power that protects via intelligence rather than that brute limitation that we have in our circuits. Some other changes they've done, terminology and classification adjustments, right? So what they did was so class one circuits, typically 30 volts, they're no longer considered power limited, right? The power limited class one language is being retired. It's now just simply going to be called class one. So now those limited energy systems truly just cover low power and inherently safe circuits. Again, the scope shift from chapter eight. Chapter eight used to be, again, everything low voltage, but now it's being really just the outside plant coming up to the building, to the building entrance protection, to the demarcation point. Anything after the demarcation point would fall under one of those previous newly made articles, 722, 723. So everything inside the building, where most of the information communication technology, the ICT, now moves under chapter seven. They also did some alignment with anything under 1,000 volts structure, right? So Article 720 through 723 now mirrors with the layout familiar to electricians working under chapter three. And this alignment also is going to help bridge the gap between electrical and IC trades, something that's been long overdue. But the jury's still out on that one. So we'll wait and see before I come in and weigh in on that.

SPEAKER_00: 18:15

Let's take a short break. Are you trying to reach the technicians, project managers, and decision makers of the ICT industry? Then why aren't you advertising on Let's Talk Cabling? With over 150,000 impressions a month across podcasts, YouTube, and social media, this isn't just a show. It's the go-to resource for the low voltage industry. We spotlight the tools, training, and technology shaping the future of structured cabling. And your brand could be front and center. Don't just get noticed, get trusted. Email Chuck at advertising at letstalkcabling.com and let's connect your brand to the right audience today.

SPEAKER_01: 19:02

And then it also lays out the pathway for the 2029 codebook. So again, the 2026 is still divided into that nine sections, just like the 2023 is. But the 2029 code book, listen to this, it's going to be broken up into 30 chapters. 30 chapters. But don't let that fool you into thinking that they're going to have an abundance of unused chapters because they they said in the class there's only a few of them that won't be used. So the 2029, the huge change is coming down. So the bottom line is the intent behind the people who sit on these committee meetings, who sit and on these panels to write the code book, the 2026 Hook code book, they're not looking to make life harder for us limited energy or low voltage integrators. They're just trying to make it a little bit more clear for everybody involved. And that's not just you, the installer out in the field, that's also the project manager, the estimator, even the AHJ, the electric electron inspectors. But let me tell you this. For those of you who are worried about the 2026 code book, yes, it just got published. It may be a while before it comes to your neighborhood because the 2023 code book has been out for three years. Three years. And so far, only as the date of this publication, this broadcast, only 18 states have adopted the 2023 code book. Now, some states automatically adopt the code book when it comes out, but a lot of those want to read through it. Matter of fact, there are some states, there are two states still that are operating out of the 2008 code book. I'll say that again in case you didn't hear me. 2008 code book. So it may be a while before the 2026 code book comes to your local neighborhood. But you'd better make sure that you're familiar with it because it is coming. So why does this matter to installers? Why does this matter to project managers? Why does this matter to estimators? The biggest benefit for the installer is it brings clarity. You now know which article applies to what without bouncing around between multiple sections. Again, I mentioned the 300.11. It said in chapter eight that the cables have to be supported with a matter in a manner consistent with 300.11. So if you look it up in chapter eight, we now have to go bounce the 300.11 to go find it. So it's going to bring some clarity to that. So that way we're all in our own sections. And you'll be able to know which section can be dealing with the cable, which section can be dealing with the bonding and grounding, which section can be dealing with the supports for your limited energy or low voltage cabling. And one of the things they point out in that meeting is the term limited energy cable. The definition, it gives the inspectors a consistent basis for approval. So that way they're not having to, because again, you look at our industry, low voltage, it could be voice cabling, data cabling, AV, access control, security. It could be a lot of different things. So this helps bring some clarity to those inspectors. And the class four inclusion now opens up doors for power over Ethernet and also other power over structured cabling applications. What about the project managers though? So for the project managers, it's gonna make the compliance a lot easier, especially for documentation and specifications, because they're now gonna more likely line up with the new NEC articles. It's also gonna help you for as far as streamline training. So you can teach your technicians, right, from a single cohesive framework. And that way everything's all scheduled all in one inclusive little area. And web project manager is not worried about risk management. So there's gonna be fewer gray areas in the code, which means fewer change orders and fewer inspections because of rejections. And being familiar with all these changes right out of the gate, you know, before everybody else does, that's gonna firm up your position to be an expert, someone who wants to know, well, what about those 2026 things? How's that really affect us? And if you're already aware of it, then you're half the battle's over. Let's not forget about the estimators. So the reorganization means clear material takeoffs. You know, fiber and copper now share consistent cabling rules, and the class four systems introduce new hardware considerations. You'll know exactly where to go find them. And for the 2029 code book, you can expect increased scrutiny and potentially more bine items that are closely tied to the NEC compliance. And that's gonna make your job a little bit easier as an estimator, hopefully. So hopefully, these updates show that the NEC is finally trying to catch up with the ICT industry, the information communication technologies industry, or the limited energy industry, right? Because we always move ahead faster than codes and standards. They're always trying to catch up with us. But now that the code is catching up, that also means smoother installations, that means fewer disputes and safer systems. So if you'd like to go read the PDF copy of the 2026 code book, go to nfpa.org forward slash 70. Or as I mentioned, just go buy a 2026 code book. Now, as I said, I just ordered my code book. So they say that the most of the changes were because just restructuring. They said there's a few minor changes done to change the actual things in the code book. When I get my 2020 26 code book, I will be going through them and finding those changes, figure out how they changed from the 2023 code book, and I'll bring that to you in a separate episode. So this episode is morely about how it was restructured. If you have any comments about that 2026 code book, make sure you you drop me a message either via my email or on one of the social media platforms or anywhere. Just shoot me a message, and if I can answer it quickly, I will.