First,let me identify myself as a lobbyist for the Michigan Association of Home Builders. I deal with code and land use issues.
From this perspective, one of the real problems with the code development process is the ability of manufacturers to use codes to create a market for their products.
That is precisely what happened with arc-fault circuit interrupters.
Those of you who are properly skeptical of this claim can go to
http://www.holmesreport.com/holmestemp/story.cfm?edit_id=1176&typeid=4 which outlines the specific public relations and lobbying efforts used by Cuter-Hammer create a market for their device by creating a code requirement in the NEC and a corrsponding "consumer pull."
