[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 3334]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-612]



  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 9 / Friday, January 12, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 3334]]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Finding of No Significant Impact; Energy Conservation Program for 
Consumer Products

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

ACTION: Finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for amended energy 
conservation standard for clothes washers.

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SUMMARY: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended by the 
National Energy Conservation Policy Act and the National Appliance 
Energy Conservation Act, and the National Appliance Energy Conservation 
Amendments, prescribes energy conservation standards for certain major 
household appliances, and requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to 
administer an energy conservation program for these products. Based on 
an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA-1344, DOE has determined that 
the adoption of the negotiated energy efficiency Trial Standard Level 
(TSL) 3 for clothes washers, as adopted by the Final Rule entitled the 
``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Clothes Washer 
Energy Conservation Standards,'' would not be a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the 
meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). 
Therefore, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not required, and 
the Department is issuing this finding of no significant impact 
(FONSI).

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EA are available from: U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Forrestal 
Building, Mail Station EE-41, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9127.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Berringer, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Forrestal 
Building, Mail Station EE-41, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-0371. For information regarding 
the DOE NEPA process, contact: Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of 
NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42), 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0119, (202) 586-4600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Description of the proposed action: The 
proposed action is the establishment of a revised energy conservation 
standard (TSL 3) for clothes washers.
    Environmental Impacts: The EA evaluates the environmental impacts 
of a range of new energy conservation standards for clothes washers. 
The results are presented for each potential trial standard level. Each 
potential trial standard level is an alternative action, and the 
environmental impacts of each alternative are compared to what would be 
expected to happen if no new standard were adopted, i.e., the ``no 
action'' alternative.
    The main environmental impact is decreased emissions from fossil-
fueled electricity generation. All of the minimum efficiency levels 
considered for this appliance product category would result in 
decreased electricity use and, therefore, a reduction in power plant 
emissions. The proposed efficiency standard would generally decrease 
air pollution by decreasing future energy demand. The environmental 
analysis considers only two pollutants, nitrogen oxides ( 
NOX) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), and one emission, 
carbon. Cumulative power sector and household emissions reductions 
through 2020 for the proposed standards range from 2.5-65 Mt for carbon 
and 8.4-210 kt for NOX. Through 2030, the cumulative 
emissions reductions range from 5.1-135 Mt for carbon and 14.4-364 kt 
of NOX. The reduction in SO2 emissions ranges 
from 0.6-15.5 kt through 2020 and from 1.2-31.4 kt through 2030. 
Because emissions of SO2 from power plants are capped by 
clean air legislation, physical emissions of this pollutant from 
electricity generation will be only minimally affected by possible 
clothes washer standards through changes in allowance prices. 
Therefore, the EA did not consider changes in power sector 
SO2 emissions because they will be negligible.
    Determination: Based upon the EA, DOE has determined that the 
adoption of the proposed energy efficiency standard for clothes washers 
would not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the 
quality of the human environment, within the meaning of NEPA. 
Therefore, an EIS is not required, and the Department is issuing this 
FONSI.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 3, 2001.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-612 Filed 1-11-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P