[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 71 (Wednesday, April 14, 2010)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 19296]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-8508]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 71 / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 19296]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket Number: EE-2009-BT-STD-0020; EE-2009-BT-STD-0022]
RIN 1904-AB89; 1904-AC06


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures and Energy 
Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces and Boilers

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: This document announces an extension of the time periods for 
submitting comments on the supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking 
(SNOPR) to amend the test procedures for furnaces and boilers, and the 
energy conservation standards notice of public meeting (NOPM) and 
availability of a rulemaking analysis plan (RAP) for furnaces. Both 
comment periods are extended to April 27, 2010.

DATES: The comment period for the proposed rules published on March 15, 
2010 (75 FR 12144) and April 5, 2010 (75 FR 17075) is extended to April 
27, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Any comments submitted must identify the ``SNOPR on Test 
Procedures for Residential Furnaces and Boilers'' or ``NOPM for Energy 
Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces'' and provide the 
appropriate docket number EE-2009-BT-STD-0020 (SNOPR) or EE-2009-BT-
STD-0022 (NOPM) and/or RIN number 1904-AB89 (SNOPR) or 1904-AC06 
(NOPM). Comments may be submitted using any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected] (SNOPR) or [email protected] (NOPM). Include docket number EE-
2009-BT-STD-0020 or EE-2009-BT-STD-0022 and/or RIN 1904-AB89 or 1904-
AC06, as appropriate, in the subject line of the message. Submit 
electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file 
format and avoid the use of special characters or any form of 
encryption.
     Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Building Technologies Program, Mailstop EE-2J, 1000 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 
586-2945. Please submit one signed original paper copy.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., 6th 
Floor, Washington, DC 20024. Please submit one signed original paper 
copy.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
comments received, visit the U.S. Department of Energy, Resource Room 
of the Building Technologies Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, SW., 6th 
Floor, Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586-2945, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Please call Ms. Brenda 
Edwards at the above telephone number for additional information 
regarding visiting the Resource Room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mohammed Khan, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building 
Technologies Program, EE-2J, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-7892. E-mail: 
[email protected].
    Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9507. E-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On March 15, 2010, the U.S. Department of 
Energy (DOE) published a Federal Register notice announcing the 
availability of its RAP for energy conservation standards for 
residential furnaces, as well as a public meeting to discuss and 
receive comment on the RAP. 75 FR 12144. The NOPM provides for the 
submission of comments by April 14, 2010, and comments were also 
accepted at a public meeting held on March 31, 2010. On April 5, 2010, 
DOE published a SNOPR setting forth an integrated efficiency descriptor 
that incorporates standby mode and off mode energy consumption into the 
statutorily identified efficiency descriptor, Annual Fuel Utilization 
Efficiency (AFUE). 75 FR 17075. The SNOPR provides for the submission 
of comments by April 20, 2010. At the public meeting to discuss the 
RAP, several commenters asked for an extension of the comment period to 
consider these new amendments to the AFUE metric because DOE had 
previously stated in the NOPR that DOE was not proposing to integrate 
standby and off mode electrical energy use into AFUE, the energy 
descriptor specified in EPCA (42 U.S.C. 6291(22)). Commenters pointed 
out that the magnitude of the standby and off mode electrical 
consumption was small as compared to the fossil fuel energy consumption 
currently characterized by the AFUE metric. The commenters requested 
additional time to review the relevant statutory provisions within EPCA 
and to consider the impacts that integration of standby and off mode 
electric energy use into the AFUE metric may have on existing products, 
testing, energy efficiencies, and reporting. DOE has determined that an 
extension of the public comment period is appropriate based on the 
foregoing reasons and is hereby extending the comment period. DOE will 
consider any comments received by April 27, 2010, and deems any 
comments received between publications of the SNOPR and notice 
announcing availability of the RAP, respectively, and April 27, 2010 to 
be timely submitted.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 8, 2010.
Cathy Zoi,
Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2010-8508 Filed 4-13-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P