[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 42 (Tuesday, March 4, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12189-12191]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04718]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

[Docket No. EERE-2013-BT-DET-0053]


Energy Efficiency Program for Industrial Equipment: Interim 
Determination Classifying CSA Group as a Nationally Recognized 
Certification Program for Small Electric Motors

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

ACTION: Notice of interim determination and request for public 
comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces an interim determination by the U.S. 
Department of Energy (DOE) classifying CSA Group (CSA) as a nationally 
recognized certification program under 10 CFR 431.447 and 431.448.

DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, and information with respect to 
the CSA interim determination until April 3, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by docket number ``EERE-
2013-BT-DET-0053,'' by any of the following methods:

[[Page 12190]]

     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected] 
Include the docket number EERE-2013-BT-DET-0053 in the subject line of 
the message.
     Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Building Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B/1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. Please 
submit one signed original paper copy.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Suite 
600, Washington, DC 20024. Please submit one signed original paper 
copy.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, or 
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2013-BT-DET-0053.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
 Mr. Lucas Adin, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies 
Office, Mail Stop EE-5B, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 287-1317. Email: 
[email protected].
Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, Mail Stop GC-71, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20585-0103. Telephone: (202) 586-8145. Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background and Authority

    Part C of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act 
contains energy conservation requirements for, among other things, 
electric motors and small electric motors, including test procedures, 
energy efficiency standards, and compliance certification requirements. 
42 U.S.C. 6311-6316.\1\ Section 345(c) of EPCA directs the Secretary of 
Energy to require manufacturers of electric motors ''to certify through 
an independent testing or certification program nationally recognized 
in the United States, that [each electric motor subject to EPCA 
efficiency standards] meets the applicable standard.'' 42 U.S.C. 
6316(c).
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    \1\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. Code, 
Part C was re-designated Part A-1.
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    Regulations to implement this statutory directive are codified in 
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 431 (10 CFR Part 431) 
at sections 431.36 (Compliance Certification), 431.20 (Department of 
Energy recognition of nationally recognized certification programs), 
and 431.21 (Procedures for recognition and withdrawal of recognition of 
accreditation bodies and certification programs). Sections 431.20 and 
431.21 set forth the criteria and procedures for national recognition 
of an energy efficiency certification program for electric motors by 
DOE. With the support of a variety of interests, including industry and 
energy efficiency advocacy groups, DOE published a final rule on May 4, 
2012, that established requirements for small electric motors that are 
essentially identical to the criteria and procedures for national 
recognition of an energy efficiency certification program for electric 
motors. See 77 FR 26608, 26629 (codifying parallel provisions for small 
electric motors at 10 CFR 431.447 and 431.448).
    For a certification program to be classified by the DOE as being 
nationally recognized in the United States for the testing and 
certification of small electric motors, the organization operating the 
program must submit a petition to the Department requesting such 
classification, in accordance with sections 431.447 and 431.448. In 
sum, for the Department to grant such a petition, the certification 
program must: (1) Have satisfactory standards and procedures for 
conducting and administering a certification system, and for granting a 
certificate of conformity; (2) be independent of small electric motor 
manufacturers, importers, distributors, private labelers or vendors; 
(3) be qualified to operate a certification system in a highly 
competent manner; and (4) be expert in the test procedures and 
methodologies in IEEE Standard 112-2004 Test Methods A and B, IEEE 
Standard 114-2010, CSA Standard C390-10, and CSA C747 or similar 
procedures and methodologies for determining the energy efficiency of 
small electric motors, and have satisfactory criteria and procedures 
for selecting and sampling small electric motors for energy efficiency 
testing. 10 CFR 431.447(b).
    Each petition requesting classification as a nationally recognized 
certification program must contain a narrative statement as to why the 
organization meets the above criteria, be accompanied by documentation 
that supports the narrative statement, and be signed by an authorized 
representative. 10 CFR 431.447(c).

II. Discussion

    Pursuant to sections 431.447 and 431.448, on November 1, 2013, CSA 
submitted a ``Petition for Recognition as a Nationally Recognized 
Certification Program for small electric motors'' (``Petition'' or 
``CSA Petition''). The Petition was accompanied by a cover letter from 
CSA to the Department, and the petition itself contained five separate 
sections--(1) Scope and Application, (2) Overview of CSA Group, (3) 
Certification and Testing--Quality Management System, (4) CSA Group's 
Motor Efficiency Verification Program--Product Directory, and (5) 
Examples of Other CSA Group Accreditations. In accordance with the 
requirements of section 431.448(b), DOE published CSA's petition in the 
Federal Register on December 30, 2013 and requested public comments. 78 
FR 79423.
    In response to the notice of petition, the National Electrical 
Manufacturers Association (NEMA), a trade association representing 
manufacturers of electrical products and equipment, including small 
electric motors, submitted comments to DOE in a letter dated January 
24, 2013 (Comment response to the published Notice of Petition, No. 3). 
In these comments, NEMA generally stated its support for CSA's petition 
and recommended that DOE grant recognition to CSA. The comments also 
specifically explained that, in NEMA's view, (1) CSA has satisfactory 
standards and procedures for conducting and administering a 
certification system, including periodic follow-up to ensure basic 
model compliance; (2) CSA is independent of small motor manufacturers, 
importers, distributors, private labelers, or vendors; and (3) CSA is 
expert in the content and application of the test procedures and 
methodologies in IEEE Std 112-2004 Test Methods A and B, IEEE Std 114-
2010, CSA 390-10, and CSA C747 or similar procedures and methodologies 
for determining the energy efficiency of small electric motors. NEMA 
added that CSA uses technically appropriate and statistically rigorous 
criteria and procedures for selecting and sampling small electric 
motors for energy efficiency testing.
    Having received no other comments regarding CSA's petition, DOE 
finds no specific cause to reject CSA's request for recognition as a 
nationally recognized certification program for small electric motors. 
This determination is based primarily on DOE's previous recognition of 
CSA as a nationally recognized certification program for electric 
motors (the sampling and testing requirements

[[Page 12191]]

for which are substantially the same), as well as the support of the 
motors industry as expressed by NEMA.
    The Department hereby announces its interim determination pursuant 
to 10 CFR 431.448(d) that CSA is classified as a nationally recognized 
certification program for small electric motors, and will accept 
comments on this interim determination until April 3, 2014. Any person 
submitting written comments to DOE with respect to this interim 
determination must also, at the same time, send a copy of such comments 
to CSA. As provided under Sec.  431.448(c), CSA may submit to the 
Department a written response to any such comments. After receiving any 
such comments and responses, the Department will issue a final 
determination on the CSA Petition, in accordance with Sec.  431.448(e) 
of 10 CFR part 431.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 26, 2014.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-04718 Filed 3-3-14; 8:45 am]
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