[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 154 (Friday, August 10, 2007)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 44990-44991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-15692]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

10 CFR Part 431

[Docket No. EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007]
RIN 1904-AB70


Energy Efficiency Program for Certain Commercial and Industrial 
Equipment: Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework Document 
for Small Electric Motors

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework 
Document.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE or Department) is initiating the 
rulemaking process to adopt new energy conservation standards for small 
electric motors. Accordingly, the Department will hold an informal 
public meeting to discuss and receive comments on issues it will 
address in this rulemaking proceeding. The Department also encourages 
written comments on these subjects. To inform stakeholders and 
facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document, which 
is available at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/.

DATES: The Department will hold a public meeting on Thursday, September 
13, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at DOE headquarters in Washington, DC. 
Any person requesting to speak at the public meeting should submit such 
request along with a signed original and an electronic copy of 
statements to be given at the meeting before 4 p.m., Thursday, August 
30, 2007. Written comments are welcome, especially following the public 
meeting, and should be submitted by Friday, September 28, 2007.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 1E-245, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. (Please note that foreign nationals 
participating in the public meeting are subject to advance security 
screening procedures. If a foreign national wishes to participate in 
the workshop, please inform DOE of this fact as soon as possible by 
contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones at (202) 586-2945, so that the 
necessary procedures can be completed.)
    Stakeholders may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-
2007-BT-STD-0007 and/or Regulatory Identifier Number (RIN) 1904-AB70, 
by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include docket number EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007 
and/or RIN 1904-AB70 in the subject line of the message.
     Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, Framework Document for 
Small Electric Motors, docket number EERE-2007-BT-STD-0007 and/or RIN 
1904-AB70, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Please submit one signed paper original.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Building Technologies Program, Room 1J-018, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 
586-2945. Please submit one signed paper original.
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the agency name 
and docket number or RIN for this rulemaking.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, a 
copy of the transcript of the public meeting, or comments received, go 
to the U.S. Department of Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 1J-018 
(Resource Room of the Building Technologies Program), 1000 Independence 
Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9127, between 9 a.m. 
and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Please call 
Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones at the above telephone number for additional 
information regarding visiting the Resource Room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Antonio M. Bouza, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building 
Technologies, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0121, (202) 586-586-4563. E-mail: [email protected]; 
Francine Pinto, Esq., or Eric Stas, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, 
Office of the General Counsel, GC-72, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121, (202) 586-9507. E-mail: 
[email protected] or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
(EPCA) of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) established an energy conservation 
program for major household appliances. The National Energy 
Conservation Policy Act of 1978 (NECPA) amended EPCA to add Part C of 
Title III (42 U.S.C. 6311-6317), which established an energy 
conservation program for certain industrial equipment. The Energy 
Policy Act of 1992 (EPACT), Public Law 102-486, also amended EPCA, and 
included amendments that expanded Title III to include certain types of 
commercial equipment, including small electric motors. Specifically, 
EPACT amended section 346 of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6317) to provide that the 
Secretary of Energy prescribe testing requirements and energy 
conservation standards for those small electric motors for which the 
Secretary determines that standards ``would be technologically feasible 
and economically justified, and would result in significant energy 
savings.'' (42 U.S.C. 6317(b)(1))
    On July 10, 2006, the Secretary of Energy made a positive 
determination with respect to testing requirements and energy 
conservation standards for small electric motors. 71 FR 38799. As a 
result of DOE's determination analysis, the Secretary determined 
preliminarily that standards for small electric motors would be 
``technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result 
in significant energy savings.'' DOE will determine whether and at what 
level to promulgate energy conservation standards for small electric 
motors based on in-depth consideration, with public participation, of 
the technical feasibility, economic justification, and energy savings 
of potential standards levels in the context of prescribing new or 
amended standards pursuant to section 325(o) and (p) of EPCA (42 U.S.C. 
6295(o), (p)).
    To begin the required rulemaking process, the Department prepared a 
Framework Document to present the issues and explain the analyses and 
process it anticipates using to set energy conservation standards for 
small electric motors. The focus of the public meeting will be to 
discuss the analyses and issues identified in various sections of the 
Framework Document. During the Department's presentation to

[[Page 44991]]

stakeholders, the Department will discuss each item listed in the 
Framework Document as an issue for comment. The Department will also 
make a brief presentation on the rulemaking process for these products. 
The Department encourages those who wish to participate in the public 
meeting to obtain the Framework Document and be prepared to discuss its 
contents. However, public meeting participants need not limit their 
discussions to the topics in the Framework Document. A copy of the 
draft Framework Document is available at: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/. The Department is also interested in 
receiving views concerning other relevant issues that participants 
believe would affect energy conservation standards for these products. 
The Department also welcomes all interested parties, whether or not 
they participate in the public meeting, to submit in writing by Friday, 
September 28, 2007, comments and information on the matters addressed 
in the Framework Document and on other matters relevant to 
consideration of standards for these small electric motors.
    The public meeting will be conducted in an informal, facilitated, 
conference style. There shall be no discussion of proprietary 
information, costs or prices, market shares, or other commercial 
matters regulated by the U.S. antitrust laws. A court reporter will be 
present to prepare a transcript of the meeting.
    After the public meeting and the expiration of the period for 
submission of written statements, the Department will begin conducting 
the analyses as discussed at the public meeting and reviewing the 
comments received.
    Anyone who would like to participate in the public meeting, receive 
meeting materials, or be added to the DOE mailing list to receive 
future notices and information regarding small electric motors, should 
contact Ms. Brenda Edwards-Jones at (202) 586-2945.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 3, 2007.
Alexander A. Karsner,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. E7-15692 Filed 8-9-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P