National Electrical Manufacturers Association

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the largest trade association of electrical equipment manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1926, it advocates for the industry, and publishes standards for electrical products. Notably, the form of US household electrical outlets and plugs is specified by NEMA.

Description
It was founded in 1926 and maintains its headquarters in Rosslyn, Virginia, in the Washington metropolitan area. Its approximately 350 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission, distribution, control, and end use of electricity. These products are used in utility, industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential applications. The association's Medical Imaging and Technology Alliance (MITA) division represents manufacturers of cutting-edge medical diagnostic imaging equipment including MRI, CT, x-ray, and ultrasound products. Other major end markets include building systems, electrical infrastructure, industrial systems, lighting systems and utility systems. Their combined industries account for 360,000 American jobs in more than 7,000 facilities in every state. Their industry produces $106 billion shipments of electrical equipment and medical imaging technologies per year with $36 billion exports. NEMA also has offices in Mexico City.

In addition to lobbying activities, NEMA has published nearly 1,000 electrical and medical imaging standards, application guides, white papers, and technical papers. Among its major standards are those for electrical enclosures, motors and magnet wire, AC plugs and receptacles; the NEMA connectors are universal in North America and also used by some other countries.