[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 137 (Thursday, July 17, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 41656-41658]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-16828]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0025]
RIN 1904-AD04


Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Energy 
Conservation Standards for Computer and Battery Backup Systems

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 initiating this 
rulemaking and data collection process to consider establishing energy 
conservation standards for computer and battery backup systems 
(computer systems). To inform interested parties and to facilitate this 
process, DOE has prepared a framework document that details the 
analytical approach and scope of coverage for 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

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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: www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/81

DATES: Meeting: DOE will hold a public meeting on Thursday, July 31, 
2014 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Washington, DC.
    Comments: DOE will accept written comments, data, and information 
regarding the Framework Document before and after the public meeting, 
but no later than September 2, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Additionally, DOE plans to conduct the public meeting via 
webinar. You may attend the public meeting via webinar, and 
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/product.aspx/productid/81.
    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, 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. However, comments may be submitted by any of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Email: [email protected]. Include 
docket number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0025 and/or regulatory identification 
number (RIN) 1904-AD04 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 Office, Mailstop EE-5B, Framework 
Document for Computer and Battery Backup Systems, Docket No. EERE-2014-
BT-STD-0025 and/or RIN 1904-AD04, 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, 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-2014-BT-STD-0025 on the 
regulations.gov Web site. All documents in the docket are listed in the 
http://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. Jeremy Dommu, 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) 586-9870. Email: [email protected].
    Ms. Celia Sher, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 287-6122. 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, Part A\1\ of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 
1975 (EPCA or the Act), Public Law 94-163, (42 U.S.C. 6291-6309, as 
codified) sets forth a variety of provisions designed to improve energy 
efficiency and established the Energy Conservation Program for Consumer 
Products Other Than Automobiles, a program covering major household 
appliances (collectively referred to as ``covered products'').\2\ EPCA 
authorizes DOE to establish technologically feasible, economically 
justified energy conservation standards for covered products or 
equipment that would be likely to result in significant national energy 
savings. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(I)-(VII)) In addition to 
specifying a list of covered residential and commercial products, EPCA 
contains provisions that enable the Secretary of Energy (Secretary) to 
classify additional types of consumer products as covered products. (42 
U.S.C. 6292(a)(20)) For a given product to be classified as a covered 
product, the Secretary must determine that classifying the product as a 
covered product is necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes 
of EPCA, and that the average annual per-household energy use by 
products of such type is likely to exceed 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per 
year. (42 U.S.C. 6292(b)(1))
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    \1\ For editorial reasons, upon codification in the U.S. code, 
Part B was re-designated 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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    Under this authority, DOE published a notice of proposed 
determination which tentatively determined that computer systems meet 
the criteria for a covered product. 79 FR 11345 (Feb. 28, 2014). DOE 
received several

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stakeholder comments in response to the proposed determination, many of 
which are addressed in this framework document. DOE will address any 
remaining stakeholder comments when it issues a final determination of 
coverage at a later stage in the rulemaking process.
    If DOE issues a final determination that computer systems are a 
covered product, it may establish a test procedure and energy 
conservation standard for computer systems. DOE may prescribe test 
procedures to assess the energy consumption of covered products. (42 
U.S.C. 6293(b)) For the Secretary to prescribe an energy conservation 
standard pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(o) and (p) for covered products 
added pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6292(b)(1), he must determine that:
    (a) The average energy use of the products has exceeded 150 kWh per 
household for a 12-month period;
    (b) The aggregate 12-month energy use of the products has exceeded 
4.2 billion kilowatt-hours;
    (c) Substantial improvement in energy efficiency is technologically 
feasible; and
    (d) The application of a labeling rule under 42 U.S.C. 6294 is 
unlikely to be sufficient to induce manufacturers to produce, and 
consumers and other persons to purchase, covered products of such type 
(or class) which achieve the maximum energy efficiency which is 
technologically feasible and economically justified. (42 U.S.C. 
6295(l)(1))
    Today's framework document is the first step toward initiating this 
rulemaking process. DOE has prepared the framework document to explain 
the relevant issues, analyses, and processes it anticipates using when 
considering a new test procedure and energy conservation standard for 
computer systems. 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 
computer systems. 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) product 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: 
www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/81.
    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 September 2, 
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 computer systems.
    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/product.aspx/productid/81.
    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 
omment period at 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 July 9, 2014.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-16828 Filed 7-16-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P