In many rural coops the GEC to the ground rods is connected at the drip loop to the service entry's neutral conductor. This is done for the specific purpose of shunting lightning and other surges to ground outside of the structure served. This practice was part of the service standards of the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) that set up those power cooperatives in the first place.
I still do it that way when wiring an overhead service in an exposed location such as on an open ridge top. It has confused a few inspectors who have never seen it before. In one case I had used the 2/0 flat braided copper conductor that is used for lightning down lines and until I showed him the label on the spool he would not believe it was large enough. He also did not like the fact that I ran bare number two copper from the second rod to the well casing. Once I pointed out the language in 250.64 f he was quite gracious about it even though that jurisdiction was still enforcing the 1996 NEC.
Was there any similar language in previous editions that anyone here can point me to.
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Tom
250.64 Grounding Electrode Conductor Installation.
Grounding electrode conductors shall be installed as specified in 250.64(A) through
(F) To Electrode(s). A grounding electrode conductor shall be permitted to be run to any convenient grounding electrode available in the grounding electrode system or to one or more grounding electrode(s) individually. The grounding electrode conductor shall be sized for the largest grounding electrode conductor required among all the electrodes connected to it.
