[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 137 (Thursday, July 17, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41656-41658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16828]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0025]
RIN 1904-AD04
Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Energy
Conservation Standards for Computer and Battery Backup Systems
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 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating this
rulemaking and data collection process to consider establishing energy
conservation standards for computer and battery backup systems
(computer systems). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this
process, DOE has prepared a framework document that details the
analytical approach and scope of coverage for the rulemaking, and
identifies several issues on which DOE is particularly interested in
receiving comments. DOE will hold a public meeting to discuss and
receive comments on its planned analytical approach and issues it will
address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE
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welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any
subject within the scope of this rulemaking. A copy of the Framework
Document is available at: www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/81
DATES: Meeting: DOE will hold a public meeting on Thursday, July 31,
2014 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Washington, DC.
Comments: DOE will accept written comments, data, and information
regarding the Framework Document before and after the public meeting,
but no later than September 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Additionally, DOE plans to conduct the public meeting via
webinar. You may attend the public meeting via webinar, and
registration information, participant instructions, and information
about the capabilities available to webinar participants will be
published on DOE's Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/81.
Participants are responsible for ensuring their systems are
compatible with the webinar software.
The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy,
Forrestal Building, Room 8E-089, 1000 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585-0121. Please note that foreign nationals planning
to participate 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. Please note that any person
wishing to bring a laptop computer into the Forrestal Building will be
required to obtain a property pass. Visitors should avoid bringing
laptops, or allow an extra 45 minutes. As noted above, persons may also
attend the public meeting via webinar.
Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments
electronically. However, comments may be submitted by any of the
following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
Email: [email protected]. Include
docket number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0025 and/or regulatory identification
number (RIN) 1904-AD04 in the subject line of the message. All comments
should clearly identify the name, address, and, if appropriate,
organization of the commenter. Submit electronic comments in
WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and avoid the
use of special characters or any form of encryption.
Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of
Energy, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B, Framework
Document for Computer and Battery Backup Systems, Docket No. EERE-2014-
BT-STD-0025 and/or RIN 1904-AD04, 1000 Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC 20585-0121. If possible, please submit all items on a
compact disc (CD), in which case it is not necessary to include printed
copies. [Please note that comments sent by mail are often delayed and
may be damaged by mail screening processes.]
Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department
of Energy, Building Technologies Office, Sixth Floor, 950 L'Enfant
Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. If
possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not
necessary to include printed copies.
Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name
and docket number and/or RIN for this rulemaking. No telefacsimilies
(faxes) will be accepted.
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
regulations.gov Web page contains simple instructions on how to access
all documents, including public comments, in the docket. The docket can
be accessed by searching for docket number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0025 on the
regulations.gov Web site. All documents in the docket are listed in the
http://www.regulations.gov index. However, not all documents listed in
the index may be publicly available, such as information that is exempt
from public disclosure.
For information on how to submit a comment, review other public
comments and the docket, or participate in the public meeting, contact
Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or by email:
[email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jeremy Dommu, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building
Technologies Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington,
DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9870. Email: [email protected].
Ms. Celia Sher, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 287-6122. Email: [email protected].
For information on how to submit or review public comments and on
how to participate in the public meeting, contact Ms. Brenda Edwards,
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone (202) 586-2945. Email:
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Title III, Part A\1\ of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of
1975 (EPCA or the Act), Public Law 94-163, (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, as
codified) sets forth a variety of provisions designed to improve energy
efficiency and established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer
Products Other Than Automobiles, a program covering major household
appliances (collectively referred to as ``covered products'').\2\ EPCA
authorizes DOE to establish technologically feasible, economically
justified energy conservation standards for covered products or
equipment that would be likely to result in significant national energy
savings. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(I)-(VII)) In addition to
specifying a list of covered residential and commercial products, EPCA
contains provisions that enable the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to
classify additional types of consumer products as covered products. (42
U.S.C. 6292(a)(20)) For a given product to be classified as a covered
product, the Secretary must determine that classifying the product as a
covered product is necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes
of EPCA, and that the average annual per-household energy use by
products of such type is likely to exceed 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per
year. (42 U.S.C. 6292(b)(1))
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\1\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. code,
Part B was re-designated Part A.
\2\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute
as amended through the American Energy Manufacturing Technical
Corrections Act (AEMTCA), Pub. L. 112-210 (Dec. 18, 2012).
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Under this authority, DOE published a notice of proposed
determination which tentatively determined that computer systems meet
the criteria for a covered product. 79 FR 11345 (Feb. 28, 2014). DOE
received several
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stakeholder comments in response to the proposed determination, many of
which are addressed in this framework document. DOE will address any
remaining stakeholder comments when it issues a final determination of
coverage at a later stage in the rulemaking process.
If DOE issues a final determination that computer systems are a
covered product, it may establish a test procedure and energy
conservation standard for computer systems. DOE may prescribe test
procedures to assess the energy consumption of covered products. (42
U.S.C. 6293(b)) For the Secretary to prescribe an energy conservation
standard pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(o) and (p) for covered products
added pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6292(b)(1), he must determine that:
(a) The average energy use of the products has exceeded 150 kWh per
household for a 12-month period;
(b) The aggregate 12-month energy use of the products has exceeded
4.2 billion kilowatt-hours;
(c) Substantial improvement in energy efficiency is technologically
feasible; and
(d) The application of a labeling rule under 42 U.S.C. 6294 is
unlikely to be sufficient to induce manufacturers to produce, and
consumers and other persons to purchase, covered products of such type
(or class) which achieve the maximum energy efficiency which is
technologically feasible and economically justified. (42 U.S.C.
6295(l)(1))
Today's framework document is the first step toward initiating this
rulemaking process. DOE has prepared the framework document to explain
the relevant issues, analyses, and processes it anticipates using when
considering a new test procedure and energy conservation standard for
computer systems. The focus of the public meeting noted above will be
to discuss the information presented and issues identified in the
framework document. At the public meeting, DOE will make presentations
and invite discussion on the rulemaking process as it applies to
computer systems. DOE will also solicit comments, data, and information
from participants and other interested parties.
DOE is planning to conduct in-depth technical analyses in the
following areas: (1) Engineering; (2) energy use; (3) product price;
(4) life-cycle cost and payback period; (5) national impacts; (6)
manufacturer impacts; (7) emission impacts; (8) utility impacts; (9)
employment impacts; and (10) regulatory impacts. DOE will also conduct
several other analyses that support those previously listed, including
the market and technology assessment, the screening analysis (which
contributes to the engineering analysis), and the shipments analysis
(which contributes to the national impact analysis).
DOE encourages those who wish to participate in the public meeting
to obtain the framework document and to be prepared to discuss its
contents. A copy of the framework document is available at:
www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/81.
Public meeting participants need not limit their comments to the
issues identified in the framework document. DOE is also interested in
comments on other relevant issues that participants believe would
affect energy conservation standards for these products, applicable
test procedures, or the preliminary determination on the scope of
coverage. DOE invites all interested parties, whether or not they
participate in the public meeting, to submit in writing by September 2,
2014, comments and information on matters addressed in the framework
document and on other matters relevant to DOE's consideration of
coverage of and standards for computer systems.
The public meeting will be conducted in an informal, facilitated,
conference style. There shall be no discussion of proprietary
information, costs or prices, market shares, or other commercial
matters regulated by U.S. antitrust laws. A court reporter will record
the proceedings of the public meeting, after which a transcript will be
available for purchase from the court reporter and placed on the DOE
Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/81.
After the public meeting and the close of the comment period on the
framework document, DOE will collect data, conduct the analyses as
discussed in the framework document and at the public meeting, and
review the public comments it receives.
DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of
the process for determining whether to establish energy conservation
standards and, if so, in setting those new standards. DOE actively
encourages the participation and interaction of the public during the
omment period at each stage of the rulemaking process. Beginning with
the framework document, and during each subsequent public meeting and
comment period, interactions with and among members of the public
provide a balanced discussion of the issues to assist DOE in the
standards rulemaking process. Accordingly, 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 this rulemaking should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-
2945, or via email at [email protected].
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 9, 2014.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-16828 Filed 7-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P