[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 22 (Friday, February 1, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 7304-7306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-02171]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 431

[Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-STD-0031]
RIN 1904-AC54


Energy Efficiency Program for Commercial and Industrial 
Equipment: Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework Document 
for Commercial and Industrial Pumps

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 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering energy 
conservation standards for commercial and industrial pumps. To inform 
interested parties and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a 
Framework Document that details the analytical approach and preliminary 
scope of the rulemaking, and identifies several issues on which DOE is 
particularly interested in receiving comments. DOE will hold a public 
meeting to discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical 
approach and issues it will address in this rulemaking proceeding. DOE 
welcomes written comments and relevant data from the public on any 
subject within the scope of this rulemaking. A copy of the Framework 
Document is available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/14.

DATES: Meeting: DOE will hold a public meeting on February 20, 2013 
from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Washington, DC. Additionally, DOE plans 
to conduct the public meeting via webinar. Registration information, 
participant instructions, and information about the capabilities 
available to webinar participants will be published on DOE's Web site 
at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/14. Participants are responsible for ensuring 
their systems are compatible with the webinar software.
    DOE must receive requests to speak at the public meeting before 
4:00 p.m. February 13, 2013. DOE must receive an electronic copy of the 
statement with the name and, if appropriate, the organization of the 
presenter to be given at the public meeting before 4:00 p.m., February 
15, 2013.
    Comments: DOE will accept written comments, data, and information 
regarding the Framework Document before and after the public meeting, 
but no later than March 18, 2013.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of 
Energy, Forrestal Building, Room 8E-089, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. Please note that foreign nationals planning 
to participate in the public meeting are subject to advance security 
screening procedures. If a foreign national wishes to participate in 
the public meeting, please inform DOE of this fact as soon as possible 
by contacting Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 so that the 
necessary procedures can be completed. Please note that any person 
wishing to bring a laptop computer into the Forrestal Building will be 
required to obtain a property pass. Visitors should avoid bringing 
laptops, or allow an extra 45 minutes. As noted above, persons may also 
attend the public meeting via webinar.
    Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments electronically 
by the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email to the following address: 
[email protected]. Include docket number EERE-2011-BT-STD-
0031 and/or RIN 1904-AC54 in the subject line of the message. All 
comments should clearly identify the name, address, and, if 
appropriate,

[[Page 7305]]

organization of the commenter. 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, Framework 
Document for Commercial and Industrial Pumps, Docket No. EERE-2011-BT-
STD-0031 and/or RIN 1904-AC54, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121. If possible, please submit all items on a 
compact disc (CD), in which case it is not necessary to include printed 
copies. [Please note that comments sent by mail are often delayed and 
may be damaged by mail screening processes.]
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Program, Sixth Floor, 950 L'Enfant 
Plaza SW., Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. If 
possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not 
necessary to include printed copies.
     Instructions: All submissions received must include the 
agency name and docket number and/or RIN for this rulemaking. No 
telefacsimilies (faxes) will be accepted.
    Docket: The docket is available for review at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2011-BT-STD-0031, and will 
include Federal Register notices, framework document, notice of 
proposed rulemaking, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts, 
comments, and other supporting documents/materials throughout the 
rulemaking process. The regulations.gov Web page contains simple 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, 
in the docket. The docket can be accessed by searching for docket 
number EERE-2011-BT-STD-0031 on the regulations.gov Web site. All 
documents in the docket are listed in the www.regulations.gov index. 
However, not all documents listed in the index may be publicly 
available, such as information that is exempt from public disclosure.
    For information on how to submit a comment, review other public 
comments and the docket, or participate in the public meeting, contact 
Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or by email: 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Charles Llenza, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies, EE-2J, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 
586-2192. Email: [email protected].
Ms. Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-9507. Email: [email protected].

    For information on how to submit or review public comments and on 
how to participate in the public meeting, contact Ms. Brenda Edwards, 
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) 586-2945. Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title III of the Energy Policy and 
Conservation Act of 1975, as amended, (EPCA or the Act), Public Law 94-
163, (42 U.S.C. 6291 et. seq.) sets forth a variety of provisions 
designed to improve energy efficiency.\1\ Part C) \2\ of Title III (42 
U.S.C. 6311-6317) establishes an energy conservation program for 
certain industrial and commercial equipment. Section 6311(1)(A) 
includes pumps as ``covered equipment.'' DOE is authorized to set 
standards for pumps and to establish test procedures and prescribe 
labeling requirements for them. See 42 U.S.C. 6295(o); 6316(a); 6314; 
and 6315.
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    \1\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute 
as amended through the American Energy Manufacturing Technical 
Corrections Act (AEMTCA), Public Law 112-210 (Dec. 18, 2012).
    \2\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code, 
Part C was re-designated Part A-1.
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    DOE has prepared the framework document to explain the relevant 
issues, analyses, and processes it anticipates using when considering 
new energy conservation standards for commercial and industrial pumps. 
The focus of the public meeting noted above will be to discuss the 
information presented and issues identified in the Framework Document. 
At the public meeting, DOE will make presentations and invite 
discussion on the rulemaking process as it applies to commercial and 
industrial pumps. DOE will also solicit comments, data, and information 
from participants and other interested parties.
    DOE is planning to conduct in-depth technical analyses in the 
following areas: (1) Engineering, (2) energy use, (3) equipment price, 
(4) life-cycle cost and payback period, (5) national impacts, (6) 
manufacturer impacts, (7) emission impacts, (8) utility impacts, (9) 
employment impacts, and (10) regulatory impacts. DOE will also conduct 
several other analyses that support those previously listed, including 
the market and technology assessment, the screening analysis (which 
contributes to the engineering analysis), and the shipments analysis 
(which contributes to the national impact analysis).
    DOE encourages those who wish to participate in the public meeting 
to obtain the Framework Document and to be prepared to discuss its 
contents. A copy of the Framework Document is available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/14.
    Public meeting participants need not limit their comments to the 
issues identified in the framework document. DOE is also interested in 
comments on other relevant issues that participants believe would 
affect energy conservation standards for this equipment, applicable 
test procedures, or the preliminary determination on the scope of 
coverage. DOE invites all interested parties, whether or not they 
participate in the public meeting, to submit in writing by March 18, 
2013, comments and information on matters addressed in the Framework 
Document and on other matters relevant to DOE's consideration of 
coverage and standards for commercial and industrial pumps.
    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 U.S. antitrust laws. A court reporter will record 
the proceedings of the public meeting, after which a transcript will be 
available for purchase from the court reporter and placed on the DOE 
Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/14.
    After the public meeting and the close of the comment period on the 
Framework Document, DOE will collect additional data, conduct the 
analyses as discussed in the Framework Document and at the public 
meeting, and review the public comments received.
    DOE considers public participation to be a very important part of 
the process for determining whether to establish energy conservation 
standards and, if so, in setting those standards. DOE actively 
encourages the participation and interaction of the public during the 
comment period in each stage of the rulemaking process. Beginning with 
the Framework Document, and during each subsequent public meeting and 
comment period, interactions with and among members of the public 
provide a

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balanced discussion of the issues to assist DOE in the standards 
rulemaking process. Accordingly, anyone who wishes to participate in 
the public meeting, receive meeting materials, or be added to the DOE 
mailing list to receive future notices and information about this 
rulemaking should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945, or via 
email at [email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 25, 2013.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-02171 Filed 1-31-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P