[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 14 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 7201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-1791]



  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 14 / Monday, January 22, 2001 / 
Notices  

[[Page 7201]]


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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: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Energy 
Conservation Standard for Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat 
Pumps.

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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-1352, DOE has determined that 
the adoption of energy efficiency Trial Standard Level (TSL) 4 for 
residential central air conditioners and heat pumps, as adopted by the 
Final Rule entitled the ``Energy Conservation Program for Consumer 
Products: Residential Central Air Conditioners and Heat Pumps 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: Public Availability: 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, S.W., Washington, D.C., 20585-0121, (202) 586-9127.

FOR FURTHER PROGRAM INFORMATION CONTACT:  Dr. Michael E. McCabe, Office 
of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-41), U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20585-0121, 
(202) 586-9127.
    For Further Information Regarding the DOE NEPA Process, Contact: 
Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-
42), 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 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 4) for 
residential central air conditioners and heat pumps.
    Environmental Impacts: The EA evaluates the environmental impacts 
of a range of new energy conservation standards for residential central 
air conditioners and heat pumps. 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 two pollutants, nitrogen oxides ( NOX) 
and sulfur dioxide (SO2), and one emission, carbon. The 
Department, in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, proposed TSL 3. 
However, in the Final Rule, DOE is adopting TSL 4, an alternative that 
was also analyzed in the EA. The results of the analysis show an 
estimated cumulative reduction of 27.7 to 32.7 million tons of carbon 
equivalent emissions, and 84.4 to 93.8 thousand tons NOX for 
TSLs 3 and 4, respectively, through the year 2020. This would be a 
national reduction of 0.19% and 0.23% of carbon equivalent emissions, 
and 0.08% and 0.09% of NOX. 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 residential central air conditioners and 
heat pumps standards. The maximum SO2 allowed by law will 
most likely still be produced, but because SO2 emissions are 
traded, and if SO2 emissions are lowered due to less power 
generation, then the cost of SO2 emission credits may 
decrease slightly. 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 residential 
central air conditioners and heat pumps 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, D.C., the 4th day, of January 2001.
Dan W. Reicher,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 01-1791 Filed 1-18-01; 11:30 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P