[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23238-23239]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-9311]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy


Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals: Standard Work 
Specifications for Single Family Energy Upgrades

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: A notice of availability and request for comments on a revised 
version of The Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals: Standard Work 
Specifications for Single Family Energy Upgrades was published in the 
Federal Register on March 29, 2012. 77 FR 19008. A number of commenters 
indicated that because of the extent of changes to the revised version 
from the version previously made publically available, additional time 
should be provided for review and comment. This notice reopens the 
comment period on the revised guidelines to provide additional 
opportunity for public review and comment.

DATES: Comments on the Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals: 
Standard Work Specifications for Single Family Energy Upgrades must be 
received by 5

[[Page 23239]]

p.m. Eastern Standard Time on May 15, 2012.

ADDRESSES: A link to the online public comment tool can be found at: 
http://nrel.pnnl.gov/forumdisplay.php/5-SWS-for-Single-Family-Homes
    You may also submit comments by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
     By email: [email protected].
     By mail: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Attn: Chuck 
Kurnik, RSF402, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401.

For further information on how to submit comments, please see the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
Joshua Olsen, Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program, Mailstop 
EE-2K, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585, Phone number: (202) 287-1813, Email: [email protected].
Christopher Calamita, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, Forrestal Building, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585, Phone number: (202) 586-1777, Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EERE through the National Renewable Energy 
Laboratory is developing voluntary work specifications for the work 
involved in home energy upgrades. This document builds upon the 
considerable body of material already in circulation and the cumulative 
knowledge gathered throughout the 30-year history of the Weatherization 
Assistance Program and broader home performance industry.
    The development of The Guidelines for Home Energy Professionals: 
Standard Work Specifications for Single Family Energy Upgrades (SWS) is 
supported by the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) Training and 
Technical Assistance Plan (T&TA). The process of developing the SWS has 
involved a historic collaboration between WAP practitioners and 
trainers, home performance contractors, building scientists, organized 
labor, healthy homes and worker safety experts, and other professionals 
in the building trades and throughout the retrofit industry. On 
November 9, 2010, EERE issued a notice requesting public comment on a 
draft version of the SWS. On March 29, 2012, EERE made available a 
version of the SWS that was revised in response to comments received, 
and provided an opportunity for public review and comment until April 
11, 2012. 77 FR 19008. For background on the revised version of the 
SWS, see the March 29, 2012 notice.
    Comments provided to date can be viewed at: http://nrel.pnnl.gov/forumdisplay.php/9-SWS-for-Single-Family-Homes.
    The comment docket now identifies the commenter along with the 
comment provided.
    A number of commenters indicated that because of the extent of 
changes to the revised SWS as compared to the version previously made 
publically available, additional time should be provided for review and 
comment. This notice reopens the comment period on the revised 
guidelines to provide additional opportunity for public review and 
comment.

Submission of Comments

    DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding the 
proposed guidelines no later than the date specified under the DATES 
heading. Comments received during the period following April 11, 2012, 
and the date of this notice will be treated as having been timely 
submitted.
    If submitting comments via the DOE Web page, please follow all 
instructions on the Web page: http://www.weatherization.energy.gov/retrofit_guidelines. This Web site is specifically designed for ease 
of use to facilitate the public comment process.
    Comments, data, and information uploaded to regulations.gov, or 
submitted via DOE's email address or regular mail should be provided in 
WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or text (ASCII) file format. 
Interested parties should avoid the use of special characters or any 
form of encryption, and wherever possible, comments should include the 
electronic signature of the author. Comments, data, and information 
submitted to DOE via regular mail may include one signed paper 
original.
    According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that 
he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public 
disclosure should submit two copies: One copy of the document including 
all the information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the 
document that does not include the information believed to be 
confidential. DOE will make its own determination as to the 
confidential status of the information and treat it according to its 
determination.
    Factors of interest to DOE when evaluating requests to treat 
submitted information as confidential include:
    (1) A description of the items;
    (2) Whether and why such items are customarily treated as 
confidential within the industry;
    (3) Whether the information is generally known by or available from 
other sources;
    (4) Whether the information has previously been made available to 
others without obligation concerning its confidentiality;
    (5) An explanation of the competitive injury to the submitting 
person which would result from public disclosure;
    (6) A date upon which such information might lose its confidential 
nature due to the passage of time; and
    (7) Why disclosure of the information would be contrary to the 
public interest.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2012.
AnnaMaria Garcia,
Acting Program Manager, Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program, 
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2012-9311 Filed 4-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P