[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 180 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 55797-55798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23416]


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

  Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 180 / Thursday, September 17, 2015 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 55797]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Docket No. EERE-2015-BT-TP-0015]
RIN 1904-AD54


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Small, Large, 
and Very Large Air-Cooled Commercial Package Air Conditioning and 
Heating Equipment

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

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On August 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) in the Federal 
Register regarding proposed amendments to the test procedures for 
small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial package air 
conditioning and heating equipment. DOE also held a related public 
meeting on September 4, 2015. The comment period for the NOPR was 
scheduled to end September 8, 2015. After receiving a request for an 
additional two weeks to comment, DOE has decided to reopen the comment 
period for submitting comments and data in response to the NOPR 
regarding test procedures for small, large, and very large air-cooled 
commercial package air conditioning and heating equipment. The comment 
period is extended.

DATES: The comment period for the NOPR regarding test procedures for 
small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial package air 
conditioning and heating equipment published on August 6, 2015 (80 FR 
46870) is reopened. DOE will accept comments, data, and information in 
response to the NOPR received no later than October 2, 2015.

ADDRESSES: Any comments submitted must identify the NOPR for Test 
Procedures for Small, Large, and Very Large Air-Cooled Commercial 
Package Air Conditioning and Heating Equipment, and provide docket 
number EERE-2015-BT-TP-0015 and/or regulatory information number (RIN) 
number 1904-AD54. Interested persons may submit comments using any of 
the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    2. Email: [email protected]. Include the docket 
number EERE-2015-BT-TP-0015 and/or RIN 1904-AD54 in the subject line of 
the message.
    3. Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building 
Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B, 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.
    4. Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of 
Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 L'Enfant Plaza SW., Suite 
600, 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.
    No telefacsimilies (faxes) will be accepted. For detailed 
instructions on submitting comments and additional information on the 
rulemaking process, see section V (Public Participation) of the August 
6, 2015 NOPR for test procedures for small, large, and very large air-
cooled commercial package air conditioning and heating equipment.
    Docket: The docket, which includes Federal Register notices, public 
meeting attendee lists and transcripts, comments, and other supporting 
documents/materials, is available for review at www.regulations.gov. 
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 those containing information that is exempt from 
public disclosure.
    A link to the docket Web page can be found at: 
[www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2015-BT-TP-0015]. This Web 
page contains a link to the docket for this NOPR 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 CONTACT: Ms. Ashley Armstrong, 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) 586-6590. 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-
0121. Telephone: (202) 586-8145. Email: [email protected].
    For further information on how to submit a comment or review other 
public comments and the docket, contact Ms. Brenda Edwards at (202) 
586-2945 or by email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 
1975 (EPCA), as amended, requires DOE to conduct an evaluation of its 
test procedures at least once every seven years for each class of 
covered equipment (including the equipment that is the subject of this 
rulemaking) to determine if an amended test procedure would more 
accurately or fully comply with the requirement to be reasonably 
designed to produce test results that reflect the energy efficiency, 
energy use, and operating costs during a representative average use 
cycle. DOE must either prescribe amended test procedures or publish a 
notice in the Federal Register regarding its determination not to amend 
test procedures. (42 U.S.C. 6314(a)(1)-(2))
    On August 6, 2015, DOE published a notice of proposed rulemaking 
(NOPR) in the Federal Register regarding potential amendments to the 
test procedures for small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial 
package air conditioning and heating equipment (80 FR 46870). The 
notice provided for the submission of written comments by September 8, 
2015, and oral comments were also accepted at a public meeting held on 
September 4, 2015.
    On September 4, 2015, DOE received a request from Goodman 
Manufacturing Co., seeking an additional two weeks to prepare and 
submit comments. On September 8, 2015, DOE received a request from 
Lennox International seeking an additional 30 days to review the 
technical aspects of the proposed test procedure. After careful

[[Page 55798]]

consideration of this request, DOE has determined that extending the 
public comment period by reopening to allow additional time for 
interested parties to submit comments is appropriate based on the 
foregoing reasons. Accordingly, DOE has decided to grant the request 
and reopen the public comment period on the NOPR for test procedures 
for small, large, and very large air-cooled commercial package air 
conditioning and heating equipment for 15 days to allow for additional 
data and comments to be submitted, especially in light of the public 
meeting discussion on specific topics. Consequently, DOE will consider 
any comments in response to the NOPR received by midnight of October 2, 
2015, and deems any comments received by that time to be timely 
submitted.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 11, 2015.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2015-23416 Filed 9-16-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P