Electrical systems need grounding wire to prevent short circuits. During a short circuit, a ground wire connection provides current with a safe, low-resistance path, usually through a conductive material such as metal pipe, to prevent harmful discharges. For grounded systems, the NEC requires you to perform all of the following: electrical system. Grounding is a conductive connection, intentional or accidental, between a circuit or electrical equipment and the ground or some conductive object acting as the ground. In an airplane, for example, the fuselage acts as the ground. The. Need & requirements for electrical grounding systems: this document discusses the details of why we need grounding, and definitions of electrical grounding and electrical bonding (what's the difference between these two terms.