[KrazyKuch]

Originally Posted by hillegom

In my 1970s house, the neutral went back to the breaker box and connected to all the other neutrals. This bus bar was connected to the incomming neutral and to the grounding bus bar and then to a 10 foot (I think 10 ft) grounding rod close to the breaker box

Is correct, your neutral does get grounded at your panel Once and only once, The real difference is that you can get shocked from a neutral since it is carrying a load, but you can't get shocked from a ground..

Myka just make sure that you take the ground wire from your power cord and attach it to your ballast with the same screw you use to hold it in the canopy!