[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 70797-70799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28126]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 431

[Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0051]
RIN 1904-AD40


Energy Conservation Program for Certain Commercial and Industrial 
Equipment: Gas Compressors

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is considering 
establishing energy conservation standards for commercial and 
industrial compressors. To date, DOE has considered energy conservation 
standards only for compressors intended to compress air, rather than 
natural gas. As a result, DOE's current efforts have focused on air 
compressors. However, DOE is also aware that compressors used to 
compress natural gas may also use a substantial amount of energy. To 
improve its understanding of both the technology and market of natural 
gas compressors, DOE will hold

[[Page 70798]]

a public meeting to discuss and receive further comments and supporting 
data about the characteristics and energy use of this equipment as 
described in the request for information (RFI) published by DOE on 
August 5, 2014 (79 FR 45377).
    DOE may also opt to publish supplementary information prior to the 
meeting for stakeholder review. If so, DOE would announce the arrival 
of that information by publishing a notice of data availability in the 
Federal Register.

DATES: Meeting: DOE will hold a public meeting on December 17, 2014, 
from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 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.
    Comments: DOE will accept written comments, data, and other related 
information about the RFI before and after the public meeting, but not 
later than January 12, 2015. Interested parties are encouraged to 
submit comments electronically.
    Any person requesting to present an oral statement for the record 
must notify DOE prior to 4:00 p.m., December 3, 2014, and 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., December 10, 2014.

ADDRESSES: A copy of the RFI is available at: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=EERE-2013-BT-STD-0040-0023.
    The public meeting will be held at the U.S. Department of Energy, 
Forrestal Building, Room 4A-104, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., 
Washington, DC 20585-0121.
    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.
    Attendance: Whereas the meeting is generally open to the public, 
please note that foreign nationals participating in the public meeting 
are subject to advance security screening procedures which require 
advance notice prior to attendance at the public meeting. If a foreign 
national wishes to participate in the public meeting, please inform DOE 
of this fact as soon as possible by contacting Ms. Regina Washington at 
(202) 586-1214 or by email: [email protected] so that the 
necessary procedures can be completed.
    Due to the REAL ID Act implemented by the Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS), there have been recent changes regarding ID 
requirements for individuals wishing to enter Federal buildings from 
specific states and U.S. territories. Driver's licenses from the 
following states or territory will not be accepted for building entry 
and one of the alternate forms of ID listed below will be required. DHS 
has determined that regular driver's licenses (and ID cards) from the 
following jurisdictions are not acceptable for entry into DOE 
facilities: Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Louisiana, Maine, 
Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, and Washington. 
Acceptable alternate forms of Photo-ID include: U.S. Passport or 
Passport Card; an Enhanced Driver's License or Enhanced ID-Card issued 
by the states of Minnesota, New York or Washington (Enhanced licenses 
issued by these states are clearly marked Enhanced or Enhanced Driver's 
License); a military ID or other Federal government issued Photo-ID 
card.
    Any person bringing a personal computer into DOE spaces is required 
to obtain a property pass from DOE Security and should allow an extra 
45 minutes for entry processing.
    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- 2014-BT-STD-0051 and/or RIN 1904-AD40 in the 
subject line of the message. Submit electronic comments 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.
     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. If possible, 
please submit all items on a compact disc (CD), in which case it is not 
necessary to include printed copies.
     Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department 
of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 6th 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 or RIN for this document. 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-2014-BT-STD-0051 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. James Raba, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building 
Technologies, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 586-8654. Email: [email protected].
    Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585. 
Telephone: (202) 586-8145. Email: [email protected].
    Ms. Johanna Hariharan, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the 
General Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20585. Telephone: (202) 287-6307. 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.

[[Page 70799]]

6311-6317), which was subsequently re-designated as Part A-1 for 
editorial reasons, established an energy conservation program for 
certain industrial equipment, including compressors, the subject of 
today's notice. (42 U.S.C. 6311(2)(B)(i)) Unlike some other types of 
equipment included in EPCA, the term ``compressors'' is undefined.
    Section 341 of EPCA, 42 U.S.C. 6312, provides a general statement 
of purpose to improve the efficiency of a variety of industrial 
equipment to conserve the energy resources of the Nation and permits 
the Secretary of Energy to classify certain equipment as covered 
equipment if a determination is made by rulemaking that doing so is 
necessary to carry out the purposes of Part A-1 of EPCA. Consistent 
with this process, DOE is currently considering whether to regulate the 
efficiency of a specific group of compressors--commercial and 
industrial compressors. 77 FR 76972 (December 31, 2012). DOE received 
comments from interested parties, which are available in docket number 
EERE-2013-BT-STD-0040. The comments were considered in developing a 
Framework Document to explain the relevant issues, analyses, and 
processes it anticipates using when considering new energy conservation 
standards for commercial and industrial compressors. DOE issued that 
document and conducted a public meeting to discuss its contents earlier 
this year. 79 FR 6839 (February 5, 2014). For more information, see 
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/58.
    Because the term ``compressors'' is undefined by EPCA, DOE 
considered a variety of definitions for this term to help ensure a 
reasonable level of clarity with respect to the type of equipment that 
might be regulated. In its ongoing proceeding, DOE offered for comment 
the following definition for ``commercial and industrial compressors'' 
to clarify the coverage of any potential test procedure or energy 
conservation standard:
    Compressor: ``A compressor is an electric-powered device that takes 
in air or gas at atmospheric pressure and delivers the air or gas at a 
higher pressure. Compressors typically have a specific ratio, the ratio 
of delivery pressure to supply pressure, greater than 1.20.''
    After further evaluating this definition and considering the 
comments it received, DOE revisited this definition and offered a 
revised version. That version, which is based on International 
Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Report (TR) 12942, 
provides a different definition of the term ``compressor'' from DOE's 
initial approach. (ISO TR 12942 provides a means to classify modern 
compressor types along with definitions and related terms that can be 
utilized in technical and contractual specifications such as a 
manufacturer's literature and industrial statistics.) DOE offered the 
following revised definition for public comment:
    Compressor: a machine or apparatus converting different types of 
energy into the potential energy of gas pressure for displacement and 
compression of gaseous media to any higher pressure values above 
atmospheric pressure with pressure-increase ratios exceeding 1.1.\1\
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    \1\ International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO 
12942, Compressors--Classification-- Complementary information to 
ISO 5390, International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 
2012.
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    DOE is continuing to consider revisions to this definition, 
however, due at least in part to submitted comments in which some 
parties commented that the specified ratio should be different to avoid 
overlapping with what the compressor industry generally treats as 
``blowers,'' equipment for which DOE may also establish standards. See 
78 FR 7306 (February 1, 2013) (announcing DOE's issuance of a framework 
document related to the potential setting of energy conservation 
standards for industrial fans and blowers). Also see http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/rulemaking.aspx/ruleid/25.
    While DOE's focus has centered primarily on those compressors that 
are intended to compress air, compressors are used in a wide variety of 
applications and may be used to compress different types of gases. DOE 
is aware that compressors intended to compress other gases such as 
natural gas (i.e., gas compressors) may, both collectively and 
individually, use a substantial amount of energy, as such compressors 
are often very large. An important application of gas compressors is 
the pipeline transport of natural gas. The drivers for such compressors 
can be natural gas turbines (particularly since gas is an easily 
accessible fuel out in the field), steam turbines, internal combustion 
engines, or electric motors. Recent data provided by the Energy 
Information Administration (EIA) indicate that the annual amount of 
natural gas used to transport natural gas through the pipeline system 
was about 0.7 quadrillion Btu. In addition to the pipeline transport of 
natural gas, compressors are used in the production and processing of 
natural gas, which is accounted for in the 1.4 quadrillion Btus of 
natural gas reported by EIA as ``lease and plant fuel.'' \2\ As such, 
DOE is now considering the possibility of setting energy efficiency 
standards for natural gas compressors, in addition to efficiency 
standards for commercial and industrial air compressors.
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    \2\ Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 
2014, Table 2.
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    To inform its decision making regarding natural gas compressors DOE 
will hold a public meeting to discuss and receive further comments and 
supporting data about the characteristics and energy use of this 
equipment as described in the RFI. (79 FR 45377)

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 20, 2014.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2014-28126 Filed 11-26-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P