[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 84 (Thursday, May 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24700-24701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-09965]


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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: Final 
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 final determination.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces a final 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: This final determination is effective May 1, 2014.

ADDRESSES: The docket for this rulemaking is available for review at 
www.regulations.gov, including Federal Register notices, public meeting 
attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting 
documents/materials. 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.
    A link to the docket Web page can be found at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2013-BT-DET-0053. This Web 
page contains a link to the docket for this final rule on the 
www.regulations.gov site. The www.regulations.gov Web page contains 
simple instructions on how to access all documents, including public 
comments, in the docket.
    For further information on how to review the docket, contact Ms. 
Brenda Edwards at (202) 586-2945 or by email: 
[email protected].

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

[[Page 24701]]

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.
    As required by 10 CFR 431.448(d), DOE published on March 4, 2014 an 
interim notice of determination regarding CSA's petition. 79 FR 12189. 
Having received no comments on the interim determination, the 
Department hereby announces its final determination pursuant to 10 CFR 
431.448(e) that CSA is classified as a nationally recognized 
certification program for small electric motors.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on April 25, 2014.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-09965 Filed 4-30-14; 8:45 am]
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