[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 29 (Monday, February 13, 2012)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7942-7945]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1646]



[[Page 7941]]

Vol. 77

Monday,

No. 29

February 13, 2012

Part VII





Department of Energy





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Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

  Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No. 29 / Monday, February 13, 2012 / 
Unified Agenda  

[[Page 7942]]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Chs. II, III, and X

48 CFR Ch. 9


Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of semiannual regulatory agenda.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared and is making 
available its portion of the semiannual Unified Agenda of Federal 
Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions (Agenda), including its Regulatory 
Plan (Plan), pursuant to Executive Order 12866 ``Regulatory Planning 
and Review,'' and the Regulatory Flexibility Act.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Agenda is a Governmentwide compilation 
of upcoming and ongoing regulatory activity, including a brief 
description of each rulemaking and a timetable for action. The Agenda 
also includes a list of regulatory actions completed since publication 
of the last Agenda. The Department of Energy's portion of the Agenda 
includes regulatory actions called for by the Energy Policy Act of 
2005, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, and 
programmatic needs of DOE offices.
    The Internet is the basic means for disseminating the Agenda and 
providing users the ability to obtain information from the Agenda 
database. DOE's entire fall 2011 Agenda can be accessed online by going 
to: www.reginfo.gov. Agenda entries reflect the status of activities as 
of approximately November 30, 2011.
    Publication in the Federal Register is mandated by the Regulatory 
Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602) only for Agenda entries that require 
either a regulatory flexibility analysis or periodic review under 
section 610 of that Act. DOE's regulatory flexibility agenda is made up 
of six rulemakings setting energy efficiency standards for the 
following products:

Fluorescent lamp ballasts
Battery chargers and external power supplies
Walk-in coolers and freezers
Residential clothes washers
Residential furnace, central air conditioners and heat pumps
ER, BR and small-diameter incandescent reflector lamps

    The Plan appears in both the online Agenda and the Federal Register 
and includes the most important of DOE's significant regulatory actions 
and a Statement of Regulatory and Deregulatory Priorities.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 22, 2011.
Sean Lev,
Acting General Counsel.

       Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy--Proposed Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
315.......................  Energy Efficiency                  1904-AB57
                             Standards for Battery
                             Chargers and External
                             Power Supplies (Reg Plan
                             Seq No. 27).
316.......................  Energy Conservation                1904-AB86
                             Standards for Walk-In
                             Coolers and Walk-In
                             Freezers (Reg Plan Seq
                             No. 28).
317.......................  Energy Conservation                1904-AC15
                             Standards for ER, BR, and
                             Small Diameter
                             Incandescent Reflector
                             Lamps (Reg Plan Seq No.
                             30).
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
  issue of the Federal Register.


        Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy--Final Rule Stage
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
318.......................  Energy Efficiency                  1904-AB50
                             Standards for Fluorescent
                             Lamp Ballasts (Reg Plan
                             Seq No. 31).
319.......................  Energy Conservation                1904-AB90
                             Standards for Residential
                             Clothes Washers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
References in boldface appear in The Regulatory Plan in part II of this
  issue of the Federal Register.


        Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy--Completed Actions
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Regulation
       Sequence No.                    Title             Identifier No.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
320.......................  Energy Efficiency                  1904-AC06
                             Standards for Residential
                             Furnace, Central Air
                             Conditioners and Heat
                             Pumps.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE)

Proposed Rule Stage

315. Energy Efficiency Standards for Battery Chargers and External 
Power Supplies

    Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 27 in part II of this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    RIN: 1904-AB57

316. Energy Conservation Standards for Walk-In Coolers and Walk-In 
Freezers

    Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 28 in part II of this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    RIN: 1904-AB86

317. Energy Conservation Standards for ER, BR, and Small Diameter 
Incandescent Reflector Lamps

    Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 30 in part II of this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    RIN: 1904-AC15

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE)

Final Rule Stage

318. Energy Efficiency Standards for Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts

    Regulatory Plan: This entry is Seq. No. 31 in part II of this issue 
of the Federal Register.
    RIN: 1904-AB50

319. Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Clothes Washers

    Legal Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(9)

[[Page 7943]]

    Abstract: This rulemaking will implement a provision in the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 that amended the Energy Policy 
and Conservation Act to require the Secretary of Energy to publish by 
December 31, 2011, a final rule determining whether amended energy 
conservation standards should apply to clothes washers manufactured on 
or after January 1, 2015.
    Timetable:

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               Action                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notice: Public Meeting, Framework      08/28/09  74 FR 44306
 Document Availability.
Comment Period End..................   09/20/09  .......................
Direct Final Rule...................   12/00/11
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Stephen Witkowski, Office of Building Technologies 
Program, EE-2J, Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585.
    Phone: 202 586-7463, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 1904-AB90

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (DOE)

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE)

Completed Actions

320. Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Furnace, Central Air 
Conditioners and Heat Pumps

    Legal Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6295(f); 42 U.S.C. 6295(d)
    Abstract: DOE published an energy conservation standard final rule 
for residential furnaces and boilers in the Federal Register on 
November 19, 2007 (72 FR 65136). Petitioners challenged this final rule 
on several grounds. DOE filed a motion for voluntary remand to allow 
the agency to consider: (1) The application of regional standards in 
additional to national standards for furnaces, authorized by Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (enacted Dec. 19, 2007) and (2) 
the effect of alternative standards on natural gas prices. This motion 
for voluntary remand was granted on April 21, 2009. DOE initiated this 
rulemaking to consider amended energy conservation standards for 
residential furnaces. In this rulemaking DOE is also reviewing and 
updating energy efficiency standards, as required by the Energy Policy 
and Conservation Act, to reflect technological advances. All amended 
standards must be technologically feasible and economically justified. 
This is the second review of the statutory standards for residential 
central air conditioners and air conditioning heat pumps.
    Completed:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Reason                    Date            FR Cite
------------------------------------------------------------------------
NPRM................................   06/27/11  76 FR 37549
Direct Final Rule...................   06/27/11  76 FR 37408
Direct Final Rule Comment Period End   10/17/11
Direct Final Rule Effective.........   10/25/11
Final Action........................   10/31/11  76 FR 67037
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Regulatory Flexibility Analysis Required: Yes.
    Agency Contact: Mohammed Khan, Phone: 202 586-7892, Email: 
[email protected]
    Wes Anderson, Phone: 202 586-7335, Email: [email protected].
    RIN: 1904-AC06

[FR Doc. 2012-1646 Filed 2-10-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P