[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 190 (Friday, September 30, 2016)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67219-67220]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23660]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0005]
RIN 1904-AD15


Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
Residential Conventional Cooking Products; Supplemental Notice of 
Proposed Rulemaking

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

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On September 2, 2016, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) 
published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (SNOPR) 
pertaining to proposed energy conservation standards for conventional 
cooking products. The notice provided an opportunity for submitting 
written comments, data, and information by October 3, 2016. This 
document announces an extension of the public comment period for 
submitting comments and data on the SNOPR or any other aspect of the 
rulemaking for conventional cooking products. The comment period is 
extended to November 2, 2016.

DATES: DOE will accept comments, data, and information regarding this 
rulemaking received no later than November 2, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Instructions: Any comments submitted must identify the SNOPR 
for Energy Conservation Standards for residential conventional cooking 
products, and provide docket number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0005 and/or 
regulatory information number (RIN) 1904-AD15. Comments may be 
submitted using any of the following methods: Interested persons may 
submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2014-BT-STD-0005 and/
or regulatory information number (RIN) 1904-AD15, by 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 and/or RIN in the subject line of the 
message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, 
PDF, or ASCII file format, and avoid the use of special characters or 
any form of encryption.
    (3) Postal Mail: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, 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: Appliance and Equipment Standards 
Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 
L'Enfant Plaza SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 
586-6636. If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case 
it is not necessary to include printed copies.
    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, some documents listed in the index may not be publicly 
available, such as those containing information that is exempt from 
public disclosure.
    The docket Web page can be found at: https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2014-BT-STD-0005. The docket Web page contains simple 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, 
in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Mr. John Cymbalsky, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, EE-2J, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: 
(202) 287-1692. Email: [email protected].
    Ms. Celia Sher, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-
0121. Telephone: (202) 287-6122. Email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 2, 2016, DOE published in the 
Federal Register a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking (the 
September 2016 SNOPR) pertaining to proposed energy conservation 
standards for conventional cooking products. In that notice, DOE 
proposed new or amended energy conservation standards for conventional 
cooking products and solicited comment and data from the public on the 
proposed standards, associated analyses, and results. DOE identified 
several key issues associated with the proposed standards on which DOE 
was particularly interested in receiving comment. 81 FR 60784. The 
SNOPR provided for the written submission of comments by October 3, 
2016. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has 
requested an extension of the comment period to allow additional time 
for manufacturers to conduct testing to evaluate the proposed energy 
conservation standards, based on the test procedure proposed in SNOPR 
that published in the Federal Register on August 22, 2016 (the August 
2016 TP SNOPR) 81 FR 57374. AHAM stated that manufacturers do not 
currently conduct energy tests on conventional cooking products, and 
thus more time is needed to conduct testing on their product lines to 
evaluate the proposed test procedures and provide substantive comments 
on the proposed standards. (AHAM, No. 53, at pp. 2-5) An extension of 
the comment period would allow additional time for AHAM and its members 
and other interested parties to test existing models to the proposed 
SNOPR test procedure to gather any additional data and information to 
address the proposed

[[Page 67220]]

standards for cooking products, and submit comments to DOE.
    In view of the request for a comment period extension for the 
September 2016 SNOPR, DOE has determined that a 30-day extension of the 
public comment period for the September 2016 SNOPR is appropriate. The 
comment period is extended until November 2, 2016. DOE further notes 
that any submissions of comments or other information submitted between 
the original comment end date and the extension of the comment period 
will be deemed timely filed.
    DOE also notes that, in response to the August 2016 TP SNOPR, it 
received a number of comments pertaining to the test procedure that 
impact the proposed standard levels from the September 2016 SNOPR.\1\ 
Based on these comments and the extension of the comment period, DOE 
has identified additional information and data it is seeking that would 
be beneficial for the analysis in support of the standards rulemaking.
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    \1\ These comments are available in the conventional cooking 
products test procedure docket at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2012-BT-TP-0013.
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    Sub-Zero Group, Inc. commented that the proposed test procedure and 
standards do not take into account design features associated with 
commercial-style gas cooking tops that impact efficiency, including:
     High input rate burners with large diameters and high 
controllability of the flame, for quicker heat-up times as well as the 
ability to simmer foods such as chocolates and sauces;
     Heavy cast iron grates for better heat distribution and 
strength to support large loads;
     Greater distance from the burner to the grate for heat 
distribution and reduction of carbon monoxide; and
     Larger open area for primary and secondary air for 
combustion and exhaust of combustion byproducts.
    DOE welcomes data showing how these design factors affect the 
measured annual energy consumption relative to the proposed standard 
levels. As noted in the September 2016 SNOPR, DOE selected the proposed 
standard level for gas cooking tops to maintain the full functionality 
of cooking tops marketed as commercial-style and noted that commercial-
style gas cooking tops are available on the market that meet the 
proposed efficiency level. 81 FR 60784, 60817, 60865. As a result, DOE 
is also seeking data specifically on the efficiency of commercial-style 
products relative to the proposed standard level and the design changes 
that would be needed if these products cannot meet the proposed 
standard levels. DOE is also seeking test data showing how the design 
differences for commercial-style cooking tops impact cooking 
performance relative to residential-style products.
    AHAM and GE Appliances, a Haier Company (GE) also objected to the 
proposed test method for determining the standby power consumption of 
combined cooking products (i.e., household cooking appliances that 
combines a conventional cooking top and/or conventional oven with other 
appliance functionality, which may or may not include another cooking 
product). GE urged DOE to consider adopting for conventional cooking 
tops the same prescriptive design requirement for the power supply that 
was proposed for conventional ovens. DOE welcomes comments on the 
merits of the approach of adopting a prescriptive standard for the 
power supply for conventional cooking tops, including data on combined 
cooking products.
    AHAM and GE also expressed concern regarding the proposed 
requirement to test each unique size setting of multi-ring surface 
units. AHAM and GE stated that multi-ring elements provide consumers 
the ability to adjust the element size to the size of the cookware, 
which in turn saves energy. AHAM and GE noted that because the inner 
elements of multi-ring surface units operate at lower efficiency, the 
proposed test procedure could result in the elimination of multi-ring 
elements. DOE welcomes data comparing available surface element 
diameters and cooking top energy use for cooking tops with multi-ring 
surface units and those that do not have this feature.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on September 23, 2016.
Kathleen B. Hogan,
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and 
Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 2016-23660 Filed 9-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P