[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 215 (Tuesday, November 5, 1996)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56918-56919]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-28369]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
10 CFR Part 430
[Docket No. EE-RM-94-403]
RIN 1904-AA67
Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Review of
Draft Reports and Public Workshop on Clothes Washer Standards
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of Availability and Public Workshop.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department or DOE) today gives
notice that copies of the ``Draft Report on Design Options for Clothes
Washers'' and ``Draft Report on the Preliminary Engineering Analysis
for Clothes Washers'' are available. In addition, the Department of
Energy will hold a public workshop to discuss the above mentioned
reports, comments received on the reports, the peer review of the
reports, and other relevant topics pertaining to standards for clothes
washers. All persons are hereby given notice of the opportunity to
attend and participate in the public workshop.
DATES: The public workshop will be held on Friday, November 15, 1996,
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the reports entitled ``Draft Report on Design
Options for Clothes Washers'' and ``Draft Report on the Preliminary
Engineering Analysis for Clothes Washers'' may be obtained from: U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,
Forrestal Building, EE-43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC
20585, (202) 586-7574. These documents may be read at the DOE Freedom
of Information Reading Room, U.S. DOE, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-190,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-6020,
between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
The workshop will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy, Room
1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mr. Bryan Berringer, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Forrestal Building, Mail Station EE-
43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-
0371
Mr. P. Marc LaFrance, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Forrestal Building, Mail Station EE-
43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-
8423
Ms. Sandy Beall, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S.
Department of Energy, Mail Station EE-43, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-7574.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Energy has initiated an
extensive standards rulemaking process improvement effort which
includes priority setting for various products. The Department has
determined that the clothes washers standards rulemaking be assigned a
``High Priority'' based on potential energy savings being large.
Therefore, the Department is initiating the first step of the new
process, which is to consider design options for efficiency
improvements, in developing clothes washer standards. The procedures of
the new process can be found in the July 15, 1996, Federal Register
notice (61 FR 36973) which outlines the planning and prioritization
process, data collection and analysis, and decision making criteria.
The Department has recently drafted the following documents:
``Draft Report on Design Options for Clothes Washers'' and ``Draft
Report on the Preliminary Engineering Analysis for Clothes Washers.''
The design options report identifies product classes and narrows the
range of design options being considered in the development of
standards. The Department is providing the preliminary engineering
analysis primarily for information purposes, because the Department had
previously received extensive data on manufacturer costs, energy and
water use from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, and was
able to do a preliminary analysis based largely on this data. The
engineering analysis, selection of candidate standard levels, and draft
consumer/forecasting (energy and water) analyses will be completed
before the Department publishes a Supplemental Advance Notice of
[[Page 56919]]
Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) for clothes washers planned for April 1997.
The Department seeks information from interested parties relative
to the validity of the design option report, and on how to conduct and
complete the engineering analysis. These reports are currently being
peer reviewed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Arthur D. Little,
Inc. There will be an opportunity to suggest other parties to perform
peer review at the workshop.
The Department sent a letter on October 15, 1996, to all interested
parties that have participated in past clothes washer rulemakings,
announcing the workshop and providing the above mentioned draft reports
for comment by November 8, 1996.
A workshop for clothes washer standards, primarily to discuss the
screening of design options, will be held on Friday, November 15, 1996,
at the U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC. 20585-0121 in room 1E-245 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Discussion will cover the draft reports, comments received on the
reports, the peer review of the reports, and other relevant topics
pertaining to the standards.
The preliminary draft agenda for the workshop is as follows:
Preliminary Draft Agenda
Opening Remarks, Introductions, Agenda Review
Overview of Clothes Washer Rulemaking Schedule
Discussion on Design Options
Discussion on Preliminary Engineering Analysis
Discussion on How to Improve Future Workshops
Closing--Next Steps
After completion of the workshop, the Department will review all of
the findings and other recommendations. The Department will use this
information to develop the final engineering analysis report for review
by interested parties. The workshop will be professionally facilitated.
Copies of any comments and this notice are available in the DOE
Freedom of Information Reading Room. A copy of the workshop transcript
will be available in the DOE public reading room approximately ten days
after the workshop.
There will also be an opportunity to submit written comments after
the workshop. Please notify Bryan Berringer at the above listed address
of your intention to attend the workshop, if you wish to submit written
comments, or if you wish to be added to the DOE mailing list for
receipt of future notices and information concerning clothes washer
matters relating to energy efficiency.
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 30, 1996.
Christine A. Ervin,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-28369 Filed 11-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P