Technical Standards Committee "A" (Electric)

With more than 60 years of experience, the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) has found that electric utility construction, operation, and maintenance are best when high-quality, long-lasting materials are used. Because the quality of materials is so important to program objectives, RUS continues to require that borrowers observe RUS standards and use Technical Standards Committee "A" (Electric) (TSC "A") accepted products on their systems whether they use RUS loan funds, other sources of financing assistance, or their own general funds.

What Is TSC "A"?

TSC "A" is an RUS Electric Program committee which: (1) Accepts manufacturers’ products as satisfactory for use on RUS borrowers’ facilities, and (2) Approves all RUS Electric Program standards and specifications, including RUS construction drawings, and RUS technical bulletins and Informational Publications.

Membership

TSC "A" consists of five RUS engineers: two from the RUS Regional Division Engineering branches, two from the Electric Staff Division (ESD), and a permanent committee chair. Collectively, these members are subject matter experts in distribution and transmission engineering standards, specifications, design, and electric utility construction contracting procedures.

RUS Product Acceptances

TSC "A" considers requests from manufacturers and makes determinations as to whether the products comply with applicable RUS and national industry standards and specifications and can be expected to perform satisfactorily in the harsh environments of rural America. TSC "A" limits its acceptance to one product per manufacturer for a specific category of product; this limitation allows manufacturers to concentrate on one design for rural electric borrowers, enabling the manufacturers to pass the efficiencies of standardization on to their customers.

RUS List of Materials

For borrower convenience purposes, materials and equipment accepted by TSC "A" that meet the RUS domestic origin provisions are included in RUS Informational Publication 202-1, "List of Materials Acceptable for Use on Systems of RUS Electrification Borrowers." (Domestic origin means manufactured in the United States or any eligible country substantially all from materials or supplies mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States or any eligible country. Eligible countries are determined by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.) The List of Materials is published in a subscription format with the full base issue printed each July followed by supplements every October, January, and April. RUS borrowers receive one subscription free of charge each year. Additional copies are available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954, telephone 202-512-1800.

Types of RUS Acceptances

TSC "A" considers three types of acceptances:

• FULL ACCEPTANCE - Domestic origin products for which no restrictions are placed on use and included in the List of Materials;
• CONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE - Domestic products for which RUS has limited experience. Acceptance conditions are noted on acceptance letter to manufacturer and in RUS’ List of Materials. Contractors also need to obtain borrowers’ approvals before supplying conditionally accepted items on each project; and,
• TECHNICAL ACCEPTANCE - Non-domestic origin products of the same category types as RUS accepted domestic origin products. Technically accepted products: a) may have conditions, b) are limited to a 1-year acceptance after which yearly renewal is considered, and c) are not included in the List of Materials. Technical acceptance letter issued indicates any conditions and date of technical acceptance expiration. Contractors need borrowers’ approvals to supply technically accepted items on each project.

Accepted Product Categories

TSC "A" determines the categories of products for which RUS acceptance is considered. TSC "A" does not grant acceptance for every type of product used by RUS borrowers. Instead, TSC "A" considers only categories of products central to electric transmission and distribution systems for which fairly significant use by borrowers is expected, e.g., air break switches, anchor rods, transformers, etc. Acceptance is not considered nor is it needed for office equipment, tools and work equipment, items of electric general plant, consumer-owned wiring facilities, etc. Borrowers are expected to use their own best judgment when procuring such items and assess the conformance of such products with applicable national industry standards, codes, and applicability of the product for the need. Categories are added and eliminated as conditions of borrower use and technology dictate.

Product Acceptance Procedure

The manufacturer of a product that falls within a product acceptance category desiring RUS acceptance needs to submit a letter of request to:

The manufacturer needs to include the following with each request:

• Description of each product, including specific catalog number and the RUS item category for which RUS acceptance is requested;
• Drawings or catalog sheets detailing dimensions, materials, etc.;
• Recent certified test data detailing compliance of the product with appropriate standards, specifications, etc.;
• A sample of each product for most items (the TSC "A" chair should be contacted prior to submitting any samples); and
• If seeking domestic product acceptance, a statement of origin that reads as follows:
• "[Identify here each product to be considered by catalog number] is manufactured in the United States or any eligible country substantially all from articles, materials or supplies mined, produced or manufactured in the United States or any eligible country."

All written and printed material has to be submitted in six copies (original and five copies). Requests need to be signed by an authorized representative of the manufacturer. RUS does permit agents to assist with certain administrative matters but applications have to include an original signature of the manufacturer.

The Electric Staff Division was recently contacted concerning a manufacturer having both an acceptance for a product and a technical acceptance for the same product. In order to promote fairness to manufacturers, while protecting the interests of our borrowers, the following guidelines were developed for use when a manufacturer desires both acceptance (or conditional acceptance) and technical acceptance for the same product. We are concerned that a borrower may not be able to easily determine the country of origin when purchasing products, especially when not purchased directly from the manufacturer, and thus not be able to properly apply the six percent price differential discussed in Bulletin 43-9, "Buy American" Requirement.

The manufacturer must:

• Certify that the products are identical in all respects, except for the manufacturer’s identification mark,
• Certify that the warranty is the same for both products,
• Provide a different catalog number for the technically accepted product,
• For items, such as bolts and wire cable products, for which catalog numbers are not shown in the List of Materials, the manufacturer must provide catalog numbers for both the accepted item and item submitted for technical acceptance,
• Use a different manufacturer’s identification mark for the technically accepted product, and
• Provide assurance that prospective purchasers will be advised as to which product will be furnished prior to purchase, including products sold through distributors or jobbers.

RUS Application Review

Personnel in ESD are assigned to review applications and prepare reports to TSC "A." The ESD reviewer will contact the manufacturer if any additional information is needed in order to prepare a report to TSC "A".

The manufacturer’s application and the product’s corresponding RUS staff report are presented to TSC "A" for acceptance consideration. Following discussions of the application, TSC "A" may act to: (1) grant any of the three types of acceptance described previously, (2) table consideration until receipt of any additional information TSC "A" deems necessary to make a determination, or (3) reject the request. The Chair will provide the manufacturer with written notice of the Committee’s decision.

Appeal Process

Manufacturers may appeal any adverse TSC "A" decisions by writing to Technical Standards Committee "B" (Electric) at Rural Utilities Service, 1400 Independence Ave SW, STOP 1569, Washington, DC 20250-1569. This Committee consists of the directors of the Northern and Southern Regional Divisions and the director of the Electric Staff Division.

Additional Information

For additional information about the acceptance process or specific requirements for a particular product, please contact Harvey Bowles, Chair, Technical Standards Committee "A" (Electric) at 202-720-0980, or at hbowles@rus.usda.gov.