[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 33262-33263]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13174]


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 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. 78, No. 107 / Tuesday, June 4, 2013 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 33262]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 431

[Docket No. EERE-2013-BT-STD-0022]
RIN 1904-AD00


Energy Efficiency Program for Commercial and Industrial 
Equipment: Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework Document 
for Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines

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 amending 
its energy conservation standards for refrigerated beverage vending 
machines. 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.

DATES: Meeting: DOE will hold a public meeting on Thursday, June 20, 
2013 in Washington, DC.
    DOE must receive requests to speak at the public meeting before 
4:00 p.m., June 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., June 13, 
2013.
    Comments: DOE will accept written comments, data, and information 
regarding the Framework document before and after the public meeting, 
but no later than July 19, 2013.

ADDRESSES: DOE plans to make the public meeting available 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/73. Participants are 
responsible for ensuring their systems are compatible with the webinar 
software.
    The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 
Forrestal Building, June 20, 2013, 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-2013-BT-STD-0022 and/or RIN 1904-AD00 in the 
subject line of the message. All comments should clearly identify the 
name, address, and, if appropriate, 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 Refrigerated Beverage Vending Machines, Docket No. EERE-
2013-BT-STD-0022 and/or RIN 1904-AD00, 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-2013-BT-STD-0022, and will 
include Federal Register notices, the 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 instructions 
on how to access all documents, including public comments, in the 
docket. The docket can be accessed by searching for docket number EERE-
2013-BT-STD-0022 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 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) 586-7796. 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.

[[Page 33263]]

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: 
    Part B \1\ of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 
(EPCA), Public Law 94-163 (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309) established the Energy 
Conservation Program for Consumer Products Other Than Automobiles, a 
program covering most major household appliances.\2\ EPCA directed DOE 
to prescribe energy conservation standards for beverage vending 
machines (42 U.S.C. 6295(v)), and DOE published a final rule for 
beverage vending machines on August 31, 2009. (74 FR at 44914).
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    \1\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code, 
Part B was redesignated Part A.
    \2\ All references to EPCA in this document refer to the statute 
as amended through the American Energy Manufacturing Technical 
Corrections Act (AEMTCA), Pub. L. 112-210 (Dec. 18, 2012).
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    Within 6 years after issuance of any final rule establishing or 
amending a standard, EPCA also requires DOE to publish a notice 
determining whether to amend such standards. If DOE determines that 
amendment is warranted, DOE must also issue a notice of proposed 
rulemaking (NOPR) including new proposed energy conservation standards 
by that same date. (42 U.S.C. 6295(m)(1)) DOE prepared this Framework 
document to consider amending the energy conservation standards for 
refrigerated beverage vending machines. This document explains the 
relevant issues, analyses, and processes DOE anticipates using to 
determine whether to amend the standards, and, if so, for the 
development of such amended standards. 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 refrigerated beverage vending machines. 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) life-cycle cost 
and payback period; (4) national impacts; (5) manufacturer impacts; (6) 
emissions impacts; (7) utility impacts; (8) employment impacts; and (9) 
regulatory impacts. Additionally, DOE will also conduct several other 
analyses to support these analyses, including the market and technology 
assessment, the screening analysis (which contributes to the 
engineering analysis), the markups analysis (which contributes to the 
life-cycle cost and payback period analysis), and the shipments 
analysis (which contributes to the national impacts analysis).

Public Participation

    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/73.
    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 July 19, 
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 refrigerated beverage vending machines.
    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 at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/73 and available for purchase from the 
court reporter.
    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 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 May 29, 2013.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-13174 Filed 6-3-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P