Over the past 30 years the AlEE S-135-1 and S-135-2 (IpCEA P-46-426) Power Cable Ampacities publications have often been referred to as the "black books" and have been used by engineers, planners, and system designers throughout the world. During this time period, these publications were the only complete document on power cable ampacities in the United States. In 1976, the Insulated Conductors Committee, in cooperation with the Insulated Cables Engineering Association (ICEA) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), published supplemental ampacity tables to provide ampacity ratings for single conductor cables with shield losses due to circulating currents. That publication was needed due to the tremendous increase in the use of single conductor extruded dielectric cables with multiple point bonding and grounding. As time passed, new cable designs were developed with synthetic insulation, different shielding designs and higher operating voltages and temperatures. Moreover, new technology and equipment was developed for measuring the thermal properties of soil. These developments with heat transfer in soils provided a different ,lnderstanding and approach for rating cables based on maximum cable/earth interface temperature. In addition, new forced convection heat transfer analytical methods were employed for cables in air, which provided for1ess conservative ampacity ratings. The tables in this standard reflect these changes in methodology and provide the user with a vast array of cable ampacity ratings for 600 V utilization cables, medium voltage distribution cable and high voltage transmission cables.