[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49739-49740]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20231]
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Proposed Rules
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 160 / Friday, August 17, 2012 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 49739]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Parts 429 and 430
[Docket No. EERE-2012- BT-STD-0027]
RIN 1904-AC81
Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Dehumidifiers:
Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework Document
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and availability of the framework
document.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) issues a framework document to
consider whether to amend the energy conservation standards for
residential dehumidifiers. DOE also announces a public meeting to
discuss and receive comments on issues that it will address in this
rulemaking proceeding. DOE is initiating data collection for
considering amended energy conservation standards for residential
dehumidifiers. DOE also encourages written comments on potential
amended standards, including comments on the issues identified in the
framework document. The framework document, which is intended to inform
stakeholders and facilitate the rulemaking process, is available at
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/dehumidifiers.html.
DATES: DOE will hold a public meeting on September 24, 2012, from 1
p.m. to 4 p.m. in Washington, DC. Any person requesting to speak at the
public meeting should submit such request along with a signed original
and an electronic copy of the statements to be given at the public
meeting before 4 p.m., September 10, 2012. Written comments are
welcome, especially following the public meeting, and should be
submitted by September 17, 2012.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of
Energy, Forrestal Building, 8E-089, 1000 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585-0121. Please note that foreign nationals
participating in the public meeting are subject to advance security
screening procedures. If a foreign national wishes to participate in
the public meeting, please inform DOE of this fact as soon as possible
by contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 so that the
necessary procedures can be completed.
Stakeholders may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-
2012- BT-STD-0027 and/or Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) 1904-AC81,
by any of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Email: ResDehumidifier2012STD0027@ee.doe.gov. Include
docket number EERE-2012- BT-STD-0027 and/or RIN 1904-AC81 in the
subject line of the message.
Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy,
Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. If possible, please submit all items on
a CD. It is not necessary to include printed copies.
Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Suite
600, Washington, DC 20024. Phone: (202) 586-2945. Please submit one
signed paper original. If possible, please submit all items on a CD. It
is not necessary to include printed copies.
Docket: The docket is available for review at http://www.regulations.gov, and will include Federal Register notices,
framework document, notice of proposed rulemaking, public meeting
attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting
documents/materials throughout the rulemaking process. The docket can
be accessed by searching for Docket No. EERE-2012- BT-STD-0027 at the
regulations.gov Web site.
For further information on how to submit or review public comments
or view hard copies of the docket in the Resource Room, contact Ms.
Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or email: Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen Witkowski, U.S. Department
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC
20585-0121. Phone: (202) 586-7463. Email:
stephen.witkowski1@ee.doe.gov.
Ms. Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Phone: (202) 586-7796, email: elizabeth.kohl@hq.doe.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Introduction and Legal Authority
II. Test Procedures
III. Energy Conservation Standards
I. Introduction and Legal Authority
Title III, Part B of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA)
of 1975, Public Law 94-163, (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309), as amended,
established an energy conservation program for consumer products other
than automobiles.\1\
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\1\ Upon codification in the U.S. Code, Part B was re-designated
Part A for editorial reasons.
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The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005), Public Law 109-58,
amended EPCA to establish energy conservation standards for
dehumidifiers \2\ manufactured as of October 1, 2007. (Section
135(c)(4)) EPACT 2005 also required that DOE issue a final rule by
October 1, 2009, to determine whether these standards should be
amended. (Id.) Compliance with any amended standards would be required
for dehumidifiers manufactured as of October 1, 2012. (Id.) In the
event that DOE did not publish a final rule, EPACT 2005 specified a new
set of amended standards with a compliance date of October 1, 2012.
(Id.)
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\2\ Dehumidifiers are defined as self-contained, electrically
operated, and mechanically encased assemblies consisting of: (1) A
refrigerated surface (evaporator) that condenses moisture from the
atmosphere; (2) a refrigerating system, including an electric motor;
(3) an air-circulating fan; and (4) a means for collecting or
disposing of the condensate. (42 U.S.C. 6291(34))
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DOE issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) to
consider energy conservation standards for dehumidifiers and other
products. 72 FR 64432 (Nov. 15, 2007). The Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), Public Law 110-140 subsequently
amended EPCA to prescribe new energy conservation
[[Page 49740]]
standards for dehumidifiers manufactured on or after October 1, 2012.
DOE codified the EISA 2007 standards at 10 CFR 430.32(v)(2). 74 FR
12058 (Mar. 23, 2009).
EPCA also requires that, not later than 6 years after the issuance
of a final rule establishing or amending a standard, DOE publish a
notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) proposing new standards or a
notice of determination that the existing standards do not need to be
amended. (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1))
II. Test Procedures
EPCA specifies that the test procedure for dehumidifiers must be
based on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s test criteria
used under the ENERGY STAR Program in effect on August 8, 2005, unless
DOE revises the test procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(13)) Those ENERGY
STAR test criteria require that American National Standards Institute
(ANSI)/Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) Standard DH-1
be used to measure capacity in pints of moisture removed per day, while
Canada's CAN/Canadian Standards Association (CSA)-C749-94 is used to
calculate the energy factor (EF) in terms of liters of moisture removed
per kilowatt-hour (kWh). DOE codified the test procedure requirements
from EPCA for dehumidifiers at 10 CFR part 430 subpart B, appendix X.
71 FR 71340 (Dec. 8, 2006).
EPCA requires that DOE amend the test procedures for certain
residential products, including dehumidifiers, to incorporate measures
of standby mode and off mode energy use, if technically feasible. DOE
published a NOPR in which it proposed to incorporate by reference in
the test procedures for dehumidifiers and other products an
international test method for measuring standby mode and off mode power
consumption, International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Standard
62301. 75 FR 75290 (Dec. 2, 2010). DOE subsequently published a
Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (SNOPR) to propose
referencing the updated version of IEC Standard 62301. 76 FR 58346
(Sept. 20, 2011). In a second SNOPR, DOE proposed in relevant part to
measure both capacity and EF for dehumidifiers according to the current
version of AHAM Standard DH-1. 77 FR 31444 (May 25, 2012).
III. Energy Conservation Standards
During this rulemaking, DOE will determine whether to further amend
the energy conservation standards for residential dehumidifiers. (42
U.S.C. 6295(cc)). EPCA requires that any new or amended energy
conservation standard be designed to achieve the maximum improvement in
energy or water efficiency that is technologically feasible and
economically justified. To determine whether a standard is economically
justified, EPCA requires that DOE determine whether the benefits of the
standard exceed its burdens by considering, to the greatest extent
practicable, the following:
(1) The economic impact of the standard on the manufacturers and
consumers of the affected products;
(2) The savings in operating costs throughout the estimated
average life of the product compared to any increases in the initial
cost, or maintenance expense;
(3) The total projected amount of energy and water (if
applicable) savings likely to result directly from the imposition of
the standard;
(4) Any lessening of the utility or the performance of the
products likely to result from the imposition of the standard;
(5) The impact of any lessening of competition, as determined in
writing by the Attorney General, that is likely to result from the
imposition of the standard;
(6) The need for national energy and water conservation; and
(7) Other factors the Secretary considers relevant.
(42 U.S.C. 6295 (o)(2)(B)(i))
To begin the required rulemaking process, DOE has prepared a
framework document to explain the issues, analyses, and processes that
it is considering for the development of amended energy conservation
standards for residential dehumidifiers. The framework document is
available at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/residential/dehumidifiers.html.
Additionally, DOE will hold a public meeting to focus on the
analyses and issues described in the framework document. DOE encourages
anyone who wishes to participate in the public meeting to view the
framework document and to be prepared to discuss its contents. Public
meeting participants need not limit their comments to the topics
identified in the framework document; DOE is also interested in
receiving views on other relevant issues that participants believe
would affect energy conservation standards for these products. DOE
welcomes all interested parties, regardless of whether they participate
in the public meeting, to submit in writing comments and information on
matters addressed in the framework document and on other matters
relevant to consideration of standards for residential dehumidifiers.
DOE will conduct the public meeting in an informal conference
style. A court reporter will record the minutes of the meeting. The
discussion will not include proprietary information, costs or prices,
market shares, or other commercial matters regulated by U.S. antitrust
laws.
After the public meeting and the expiration of the period for
submitting written statements, DOE will begin collecting data,
conducting the analyses as discussed at the public meeting, and
reviewing public comments.
Anyone who wishes to participate in the public meeting, receive
meeting materials, or be added to the DOE mailing list to receive
future notices and information about the rulemaking process for
residential dehumidifiers should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202)
586-2945
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 31, 2012.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-20231 Filed 8-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P