[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 45 (Friday, March 7, 2003)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11009-11010]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-5405]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EE-RM/TP-02-001]
RIN 1904-AB12


Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Energy 
Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedure for 
Refrigerators and Refrigerator-Freezers

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking.

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SUMMARY: This notice of proposed rulemaking contains an amendment to 
the test procedure for measuring the energy consumption of 
refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers for models with a long-time 
automatic defrost function. The amendment gives credit for a slight 
improvement in energy efficiency because the defrost heater on such 
models of refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers is not required to 
heat the evaporator from its coldest temperature. This change in the 
test procedure will encourage use of efficiency enhancing technology. 
Because the amendment to the rule is not expected to receive any 
significant adverse comments, the amendment is also being issued as a 
direct final rule in this Federal Register.

DATES: Public comments on the amendment proposed herein will be 
accepted until April 7, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: Ms. Brenda Edwards-
Jones, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 
20585-0121. E-mail address: [email protected]. You should 
identify all such documents both on the envelope and on the documents 
as Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products: Test Procedures 
for Refrigerators and Refrigerator-Freezers, Docket No. EE-RM/TP-02-
001.
    Copies of public comments received may be read in the Freedom of

[[Page 11010]]

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 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Raymond, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, EE-2J, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9611, e-
mail: [email protected]; or Francine Pinto, Esq., U.S. 
Department of Energy, Office of General Counsel, GC-72, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-9507, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) 
proposes an amendment to the test procedure for measuring the energy 
consumption of refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers. The amendment 
changes the calculation of the test time period for long-time automatic 
defrost to allow for a control capable of timing defrost to occur other 
than during a compressor ``on'' cycle, thereby taking advantage of the 
natural warming of the evaporator during an ``off'' cycle, and saving 
additional energy. The amendment has no effect on the testing of 
refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers that do not have a long-time 
automatic defrost system.
    Today, the Department of Energy (Department) is also publishing, 
elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register, a direct final rule 
that makes the change to this test procedure that is being proposed in 
this NOPR. As explained in the preamble of the direct final rule, the 
Department considers this amendment to be uncontroversial and unlikely 
to generate any significant adverse or critical comments. If no 
significant adverse or critical comments are received by the Department 
on the amendment, the direct final rule will become effective on the 
date specified in that rule, and there will be no further action on 
this proposal. If significant adverse or critical comments are timely 
received on the direct final rule, the direct final rule will be 
withdrawn. The public comments will then be addressed in a subsequent 
final rule based on the rule proposed in this NOPR (which is the same 
as the rule set forth in the direct final rule). Because the Department 
will not institute a second comment period on this proposed rule, any 
parties interested in commenting should do so during this comment 
period.
    For further supplemental information, the detailed rationale, and 
the rule amendment, see the information provided in the direct final 
rule in this Federal Register.

List of Subjects in 10 CFR Part 430

    Administrative practice and procedure, Energy conservation, 
Household appliances.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 28, 2003.
David K. Garman,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 03-5405 Filed 3-6-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P