[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8074-8075]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3839]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EE-RM/STD-98-440]
RIN: 1904-AA77


Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy 
Conservation Standards for Central Air Conditioners and Central Air 
Conditioning Heat Pumps

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Energy.

[[Page 8075]]


ACTION: Notice of Re-opening Public Comment Period.

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SUMMARY: On November 24, 1999, the Department of Energy published a 
Supplemental Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANOPR) to consider 
amending the energy conservation standards for central air conditioners 
and central air conditioning heat pumps. The comment period ended on 
February 7, 2000. In response to requests from the Air Conditioning and 
Refrigeration Institute (ARI) and the California Energy Commission 
(CEC) to extend the comment period, the Department is re-opening the 
comment period until February 28, 2000.

DATES: The Department will accept written comments, data, and 
information regarding the ANOPR until Monday, February 28, 2000. The 
Department requests 10 copies of the written comments and a computer 
diskette (WordPerfect 8).

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be submitted to: U.S. Department of 
Energy, Attn: Brenda Edwards-Jones, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, ``Energy Efficiency Standards for Consumer Products, 
Central Air Conditioners and Central Air conditioning Heat Pumps'' 
(Docket No. EE-RM/STD-98-440), EE-41, Forrestal Building, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Room 1J-018, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-
2945.
    You can read copies of the transcript of the public workshop held 
on December 9, 1999, and public comments in the Freedom of Information 
Reading Room (Room No. 1E-190) at the U.S. Department of Energy, 
Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC, 
between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
    The latest information regarding central air conditioner and heat 
pump rulemaking is available on the Building Research and Standards web 
site at the following address: http://www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/codes__ standards/applbrf/central__air__conditioner.html

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Michael E. McCabe, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Forrestal 
Building, Mail Station EE-41, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, 
D.C. 20585-0121, (202) 586-0854, E-mail: [email protected].
    Edward Levy, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of General 
Counsel, Forrestal Building, Mail Station GC-72, 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20585, (202) 586-9507, E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department published a Supplemental 
Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on November 24, 1999, entitled 
``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Energy 
Conservation Standards for Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps.'' 
The notice announced a 75-day comment period, ending on February 7, 
2000. At the December public workshop on the ANOPR, it was recommended 
the Department conduct additional analysis to examine the sensitivity 
of the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) results to a number of the underlying 
assumptions. DOE performed some of the requested sensitivity analyses 
and, on January 14, 2000, e-mailed the results to all workshop 
attendees who had provided an e-mail address. On January 20, 2000, the 
Department posted the results of the supplemental LCC sensitivity 
analysis to the DOE web site identified above under ADDRESSES.
    In a letter dated January 28, 2000, ARI requested an extension of 
the comment period in order to allow members to evaluate the 
supplemental information and to respond to the Department's request for 
comments. In addition, the CEC also requested an extension of the 
comment period.
    Because interested parties need adequate time to review the 
recently released LCC sensitivity analyses, we are re-opening the 
comment period until Monday, February 28, 2000. For those parties that 
plan to submit comments during this period, we ask that they make known 
to us the extent and nature of their comments they intend to submit, by 
either phone or E-mail to the address above, as soon as possible. This 
will enable us to plan for any additional data collection or analyses 
which may be necessary to resolve the comments. We hope that this re-
opening will permit a more comprehensive review and commentary 
preparation for the supplemental LCC sensitivity results.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2000.
David J. Leiter,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy.
[FR Doc. 00-3839 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P