[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 24 (Wednesday, February 5, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6839-6840]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02403]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 24 / Wednesday, February 5, 2014 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 6839]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 431

[Docket No. EERE-2013-BT-STD-0040]
RIN 1904-AC83


Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Energy 
Conservation Standards for Commercial and Industrial Air Compressors

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 
Energy.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and availability of the Framework 
Document.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering 
establishing energy conservation standards for commercial and 
industrial air compressors. As part of this effort, DOE is soliciting 
comment and data from the public on a variety of issues related to the 
setting of standards for this equipment. To inform interested parties 
and to facilitate this process, DOE has prepared a Framework Document 
that details the analytical approach and scope of coverage DOE is 
considering for this effort. The Framework Document describes the 
analytical approach that DOE plans to use and identifies a number of 
issues on which DOE seeks comment. DOE will hold a public meeting to 
discuss and receive comments on its planned analytical approach and the 
issues it plans to address. DOE seeks written comments and relevant 
data from the public on any subject within the scope of this rulemaking 
effort. A copy of the Framework Document is available at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/58.

DATES: Meeting: DOE will hold a public meeting on Monday, March 3, 
2014, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Washington, DC. In addition, DOE 
plans to broadcast the public meeting via webinar. You may attend the 
public meeting either in person or via webinar. Registration 
information, participant instructions, and also information about the 
capabilities available to webinar participants will be published in 
advance on DOE's Web site at: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/58. Webinar participants 
are responsible for ensuring their systems are compatible with the 
webinar software.
    Any person requesting to present an oral statement for the record 
must (1) notify DOE prior to 4:00 p.m., Monday, February 17, 2014; and 
(2) provide to DOE an electronic copy of the statement with the 
presenter's name and, if appropriate, the organization the presenter 
represents, prior to 4:00 p.m., Monday, February 24, 2014.
    Comments: DOE will accept written comments, data, and other related 
information about the Framework Document before and after the public 
meeting, but not later than March 24, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Meeting: 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 any foreign national planning to participate in 
the public meeting is subject to advance security screening procedures, 
and should so inform DOE of this fact as soon as possible by contacting 
Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945. Please note further that any 
visitor with a personal computer who enters the Forrestal Building is 
required to be screened and to obtain a property pass upon entry. Such 
visitors should allow 45 minutes for the screening process. As noted 
above, persons may also attend the public meeting via webinar. See 
``Public Participation'' in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below for 
additional meeting details.
    Comments: Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments 
electronically. However, comments may be submitted by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include docket 
number EERE-2013-BT-STD-0040 and/or regulation identifier number (RIN) 
1904-AC83 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 either in WordPerfect, 
Microsoft Word, portable document format (PDF), or American Standard 
Code for Information Interchange (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 Office, Mailstop EE-5B, Framework 
Document for Commercial and Industrial Air Compressors, Docket No. 
EERE-2013-BT-STD-0040 and/or RIN 1904-AC83, 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 Office, 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, and will include Federal Register notices, 
framework document, 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-2013-BT-STD-0040 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.

[[Page 6840]]

    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: James Raba, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies 
Office, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-8654. Email: [email protected].
    Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-8145. 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 Office, EE-5B, 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, 42 U.S.C. 6291, et seq., (EPCA) sets forth a variety 
of provisions designed to improve the energy efficiency of products and 
commercial equipment. (All references to EPCA refer to the statute as 
amended through the American Energy Manufacturing Technical Corrections 
Act (AEMTCA 2012), Pub. L. 112-210 (December 18, 2012)). Part C of 
Title III (42 U.S.C. 6311-6317), which was subsequently redesignated as 
Part A-1 for editorial reasons, establishes an energy conservation 
program for certain industrial equipment, which includes compressors, 
the subject of today's notice. (42 U.S.C. 6311(2)(B)(i))
    Section 341 of EPCA, 42 U.S.C. 6312, provides a general statement 
of purpose to improve the efficiency of electric motors and pumps and 
certain other industrial equipment to conserve the energy resources of 
the Nation. Accordingly, section 341 further provides that the 
Secretary of Energy may, by rule, classify certain equipment as covered 
equipment if he determines that to do so is necessary to carry out the 
purposes of Part A-1 of EPCA. In considering whether to establish 
energy conservation standards for commercial air compressors, DOE 
issued a Proposed Determination of Coverage and has proposed to 
determine that commercial and industrial air compressors are covered 
equipment (77 FR 76972 (December 31, 2012)). DOE received comments from 
interested parties, which are available in docket number EERE-2013-BT-
STD-0040, and have been considered in developing this Framework 
Document.\1\ Also see http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/58.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2013-BT-
STD-0040.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 air 
compressors. 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 process as it applies to commercial and 
industrial air compressors. 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).
    Public Partiticaption: 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/58.
    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 these products, 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 24, 
2014, comments and information on matters addressed in the Framework 
Document and on other matters relevant to DOE's consideration of 
coverage of and standards for commercial and industrial air 
compressors.
    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/58.
    After the public meeting and the close of the comment period on the 
Framework Document, DOE will collect data, conduct the analyses as 
discussed in the Framework Document and at the public meeting, and 
review the public comments it receives.
    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 new standards. DOE actively 
encourages the participation and interaction of the public during the 
comment period at each stage of its 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 its 
efforts to ascertain whether to set standards for commercial and 
industrial air compressors. 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 effort should contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945, 
or via email at [email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2014.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-02403 Filed 2-4-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P