[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 149 (Thursday, August 2, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46089-46091]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-18873]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0407; FRL-9709-2]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request; EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and 
Industrial Sectors; EPA ICR No. 1772.06

AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), this 
document announces that EPA is planning to submit a request to renew an 
existing approved Information Collection Request (ICR) to the Office of 
Management and Budget (OMB). This ICR is scheduled to expire on January 
31, 2013. Before submitting the ICR to OMB for review and approval, EPA 
is soliciting comments on specific aspects of the proposed information 
collection as described below.

DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before October 1, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, identified by Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-
OAR-2006-0407, by one of the following methods:
     www.regulations.gov: Follow the on-line instructions for 
submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (202) 566-9744.
     Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA Docket 
Center, Air and Radiation Docket, Mail Code 28221T, 1200 Pennsylvania 
Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460.
     Hand Delivery: Air and Radiation Docket in the EPA Docket 
Center (EPA/DC), EPA West Building, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave. 
NW., Washington, DC. Such deliveries are only accepted during the 
Docket's normal hours of operation, and special arrangements should be 
made for deliveries of boxed information.
    Instructions: Direct your comments to Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-
2006-0407. EPA's policy is that all comments received will be included 
in the public docket without change and may be made available online at 
www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided, 
unless the comment includes information claimed to be Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. Do not submit information that you consider to 
be CBI or otherwise protected through www.regulations.gov or email. The 
www.regulations.gov Web site is an ``anonymous access'' system, which 
means EPA will not know your identity or contact information unless you 
provide it in the body of your comment. If you send an email comment 
directly to EPA without going through www.regulations.gov your email 
address will be automatically captured and included as part of the 
comment that is placed in the public docket and made available on the 
Internet. If you submit an electronic comment, EPA recommends that you 
include your name and other contact information in the body of your 
comment and with any disk or CD-ROM you submit. If EPA cannot read your 
comment due to technical difficulties and cannot contact you for 
clarification, EPA may not be able to consider your comment. Electronic 
files should avoid the use of special characters, any form of 
encryption, and be free of any defects or viruses. For additional 
information about EPA's public docket, visit the EPA Docket Center 
homepage at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/dockets.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alexandra Sullivan, Climate Protection 
Partnerships Division, Mail Code: 6202J, Environmental Protection 
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20460; telephone 
number: 202-343-9040; fax number: 202-343-2204; email address: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

How can I access the docket and/or submit comments?

    EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID 
No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2006-0407, which is available for online viewing at

[[Page 46090]]

www.regulations.gov, or in person viewing at the Air and Radiation 
Docket in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 
Constitution Ave. NW., Washington, DC. The EPA/DC Public Reading Room 
is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding 
legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is 202-566-
1744, and the telephone number for the Air and Radiation Docket is 202-
566-1742.
    Use www.regulations.gov to obtain a copy of the draft collection of 
information, submit or view public comments, access the index listing 
of the contents of the docket, and to access those documents in the 
public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the docket ID number identified in this 
document.

What information is EPA particularly interested in?

    Pursuant to section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the PRA, EPA specifically 
solicits comments and information to enable it to:
    (i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Agency, 
including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (ii) evaluate the accuracy of the Agency's estimate of the burden 
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of 
the methodology and assumptions used;
    (iii) enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and
    (iv) minimize the burden of the collection of information on those 
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic 
submission of responses. In particular, EPA is requesting comments from 
very small businesses (those that employ less than 25) on examples of 
specific additional efforts that EPA could make to reduce the paperwork 
burden for very small businesses affected by this collection.

What should I consider when I prepare my comments for EPA?

    You may find the following suggestions helpful for preparing your 
comments:
    1. Explain your views as clearly as possible and provide specific 
examples.
    2. Describe any assumptions that you used.
    3. Provide copies of any technical information and/or data you used 
that support your views.
    4. If you estimate potential burden or costs, explain how you 
arrived at the estimate that you provide.
    5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity.
    6. Make sure to submit your comments by the deadline identified 
under DATES.
    7. To ensure proper receipt by EPA, be sure to identify the docket 
ID number assigned to this action in the subject line on the first page 
of your response. You may also provide the name, date, and Federal 
Register citation.

What information collection activity or ICR does this apply to?

    Affected Entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are 
participants in EPA's ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and 
Industrial Sectors.
    Title: Information Collection Activities Associated with EPA's 
ENERGY STAR Program in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors.
    ICR Numbers: EPA ICR No. 1772, OMB Control No. 2060-0347.
    ICR Status: This ICR is currently scheduled to expire on January 
31, 2013. An Agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not 
required to respond to, a collection of information, unless it displays 
a currently valid OMB control number. The OMB control numbers for EPA's 
regulations in title 40 of the CFR, after appearing in the Federal 
Register when approved, are listed in 40 CFR part 9, are displayed 
either by publication in the Federal Register or by other appropriate 
means, such as on the related collection instrument or form, if 
applicable. The display of OMB control numbers in certain EPA 
regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9.
    Abstract: EPA created ENERGY STAR as a voluntary program to help 
businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior 
energy efficiency. The program focuses on reducing utility-generated 
emissions by reducing the demand for energy. In 1991, EPA launched the 
Green Lights Program to encourage corporations, State and local 
governments, colleges and universities, and other organizations to 
adopt energy-efficient lighting as a profitable means of preventing 
pollution and improving lighting quality. Since then, EPA has rolled 
Green Lights into ENERGY STAR and expanded ENERGY STAR to encompass 
organization-wide energy performance improvement, such as building 
technology upgrades, product purchasing initiatives, and employee 
training. At the same time, EPA has streamlined the reporting 
requirements of ENERGY STAR and focused on providing incentives for 
improvements (e.g., ENERGY STAR Awards Program). EPA also makes tools 
and other resources available on the Web to help the public overcome 
the barriers to evaluating their energy performance and investing in 
profitable improvements.
    To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to complete a 
Partnership Letter or Agreement that establishes their commitment to 
energy efficiency. Partners agree to undertake efforts such as 
measuring, tracking, and benchmarking their organization's energy 
performance by using tools such as those offered by ENERGY STAR; 
developing and implementing a plan to improve energy performance in 
their facilities and operations by adopting a strategy provided by 
ENERGY STAR; and educating staff and the public about their Partnership 
with ENERGY STAR, and highlighting achievements with the ENERGY STAR, 
where available.
    Partners also may be asked to periodically submit information to 
EPA as needed to assist in program implementation.
    Partnership in ENERGY STAR is voluntary and can be terminated by 
Partners or EPA at any time. EPA does not expect organizations to join 
the program unless they expect participation to be cost-effective and 
otherwise beneficial for them.
    In addition, Partners and any other interested party can seek 
recognition and help EPA promote energy-efficient technologies by 
evaluating the efficiency of their buildings using EPA's on-line tools 
(e.g., Portfolio Manager) and applying for recognition. EPA does not 
expect to deem any information collected under ENERGY STAR to be 
Confidential Business Information (CBI).
    Burden Statement: The burden for joining the ENERGY STAR Program 
and related activities is expected to vary depending on the type of 
Partner. The burden is estimated to be 30 minutes for a Commercial and 
Industrial Sector Partner to prepare/submit a Partnership Letter, 1 
hour for a Service and Product Provider (SPP) to prepare/submit a 
Partnership Agreement and related documents, and 2.5 hours for an 
Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor (EEPS) to prepare/submit a 
Partnership Agreement and a brief plan outlining the key activities it 
intends to undertake to promote ENERGY STAR. These organizations also 
may undertake other activities related to their partnership during the 
year. The burden is estimated to be about 1 hour for a SPP Partner to 
update its contact information and

[[Page 46091]]

communicate efforts and successes each year and about 3 hours for an 
EEPS Partner to update its brief plan and contact information and 
promote ENERGY STAR each year.
    The burden for benchmarking in Portfolio Manager is estimated to 
vary depending on the type of benchmarking method used. The burden is 
estimated to be about 2.75 hours per building for manual benchmarks, 1 
hour per building for benchmarks using the Excel import spreadsheet, 
and 30 minutes per building for benchmarks using the Automated 
Benchmarking System. In addition, the burden for using the ENERGY STAR 
Energy Performance Indicator is estimated to range from 10 to 15 
minutes per plant. The burden for tracking a plant's energy performance 
under the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry (e.g., using the ENERGY 
STAR Energy Tracking Tool) is estimated to be 2.5 hours per plant. 
These burden estimates include the time for conducting initial set-up, 
gathering facility and energy data, and entering the data to track 
energy performance during the year.
    The burden for applying to EPA for recognition is estimated to vary 
depending on the type of recognition. The burden is estimated to range 
up to 5 hours to apply for the ENERGY STAR. This includes the time for 
gathering information and completing/submitting the application 
materials. The burden is estimated to be about 3 hours to apply for the 
``Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.'' This includes the time for 
gathering and entering data into Target Finder and completing/
submitting the application materials. The burden is estimated to range 
up to 17 hours for an organization to apply for an ENERGY STAR Award. 
This includes the time for preparing and submitting the application 
materials.
    Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources 
expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or 
provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time 
needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize 
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and 
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and 
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to 
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements 
which have subsequently changed; train personnel to be able to respond 
to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and 
review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information.
    The ICR provides a detailed explanation of the Agency's estimate, 
which is only briefly summarized here:
    Estimated total number of potential respondents: 18,000.
    Frequency of response: One-time, on occasion, monthly, annually, 
and/or periodically, depending on the type of respondent and 
collection.
    Estimated total annual burden hours: 125,023.
    Estimated total annual costs: $14,659,784, including $8,694,520 in 
labor costs and $5,965,264 in O&M costs. There are no capital/start-up 
costs to respondents.

Are there changes in the estimates from the last approval?

    The burden estimates presented in this notice are from the last 
approval. EPA is currently evaluating and updating these estimates as 
part of the ICR renewal process. EPA will discuss its updated 
estimates, as well as changes from the last approval, in the next 
Federal Register notice to be issued for this renewal.

What is the next step in the process for this ICR?

    EPA will consider the comments received and amend the ICR as 
appropriate. The final ICR package will then be submitted to OMB for 
review and approval pursuant to 5 CFR 1320.12. At that time, EPA will 
issue another Federal Register notice pursuant to 5 CFR 
1320.5(a)(1)(iv) to announce the submission of the ICR to OMB and the 
opportunity to submit additional comments to OMB. If you have any 
questions about this ICR or the approval process, please contact the 
technical person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Dated: July 25, 2012.
Elizabeth Craig,
Director, Climate Protection Partnerships Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-18873 Filed 8-1-12; 8:45 am]
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