[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 129 (Monday, July 6, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40270-40272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-14400]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[EERE-2019-BT-PET-0019-0008]


Energy Efficiency Program for Industrial Equipment: Final 
Determination Classifying North Carolina Advanced Energy Corporation as 
a Nationally Recognized Certification Program for Electric Motors and 
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 classifying North 
Carolina Advanced Energy Corporation as a nationally recognized 
certification program under United States Department of Energy 
(``DOE'') regulations regarding federal recognition of certification 
programs for electric motors and small electric motors.

DATES: This final determination is effective July 6, 2020.

ADDRESSES: The docket for this activity, which includes Federal 
Register notices, comments, and other supporting documents/materials, 
is available for review at http://www.regulations.gov. All documents in 
the docket are listed in the http://www.regulations.gov index. However, 
some documents listed in the index, such as those containing 
information that is exempt from public disclosure, may not be publicly 
available.
    The docket web page can be found at https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2019-BT-PET-0019. The docket web page contains 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, 
in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Mr. Jeremy Dommu, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies 
Program, EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-9870. Email: [email protected].
    Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0103. 
Telephone: (202) 586-8145. Email: [email protected].
    For further information on how to submit a comment, review other 
public comments and the docket, or to request a public meeting, contact 
the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program staff at (202) 287-1445 
or by email: [email protected].

[[Page 40271]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background and Authority

    Part C of Title III of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as 
amended (``EPCA'') 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). DOE codified this requirement at 10 CFR 
431.17(a)(5). DOE also established certain compliance testing 
requirements for manufacturers of small electric motors. 77 FR 26608 
(May 4, 2012) Manufacturers of small electric motors have the option of 
either self-certifying the efficiency of their small electric motors or 
they can use a certification program nationally recognized in the U.S 
to certify them. (10 CFR 431.445) DOE developed a regulatory process 
for the recognition, and withdrawal of recognition, for certification 
programs nationally recognized in the U.S. The criteria and procedures 
for national recognition of an energy efficiency certification program 
for electric motors are codified at 10 CFR 431.20 and 10 CFR 431.21 for 
electric motors and at 10 CFR 431.447 and 10 CFR 431.448 for small 
electric motors. Each step of the process and evaluation criteria are 
discussed below.
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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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    For a certification program to be classified by DOE as being 
nationally recognized in the United States for the testing and 
certification of electric motors and small electric motors, the 
organization operating the program must submit a petition to the 
Department requesting such classification, in accordance with the 
aforementioned sections.
    For the Department to grant such a petition, the petitioner's 
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 electric motor and small electric motor 
manufacturers (as applicable), 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 following test procedures and methodologies:
    (a) For electric motors, it must be expert in the content and 
application of the test procedures and methodologies in IEEE Std 112-
2004 Test Method B or CSA C390-10. It must have satisfactory criteria 
and procedures for the selection and sampling of electric motors tested 
for energy efficiency. (10 CFR 431.20(b)); and
    (b) For small electric motors, it must be 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 C390-10, and CSA 
C747, or similar procedures and methodologies for determining the 
energy efficiency of small electric motors. It must have satisfactory 
criteria and procedures for the selection and sampling of electric 
motors tested for energy efficiency. (10 CFR 431.447(b))
    The petition requesting classification as a nationally recognized 
certification program must contain a narrative statement explaining 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 431.20(c), and 10 CFR 
431.447(c)).

II. Discussion

    Pursuant to 10 CFR 431.20--10 CFR 431.21 and 10 CFR 431.447--10 CFR 
431.448, on February 11, 2019, North Carolina Advanced Energy 
Corporation Efficiency Verification Services (``Advanced Energy'') 
submitted to DOE a Petition for Recognition related to the group's 
motor efficiency verification services. That petition, titled, ``Energy 
Efficiency Evaluation of Electric Motors and Small Electric Motors to 
US Department of Energy Regulations as stipulated in 10 CFR part 431, 
subpart B and Subpart X'' (``Petition'' or ``Advanced Energy 
Petition''), was accompanied by a cover letter from Advanced Energy to 
the Department containing four separate sections, including individual 
narrative statements: (1) Standards and Procedures; (2) Independent 
Status; (3) Qualification of Advanced Energy to Operate a Certification 
System; and (4) Expertise in Electric Motor Test Procedures. The 
petition included supporting documentation on these subjects. The 
Department is required to publish in the Federal Register such 
petitions for public notice and solicitation of comments, data and 
information as to whether the Petition should be granted. 10 CFR 
431.21(b) and 10 CFR 431.448(b). In accordance with requirements in 10 
CFR 431.21(b) and 10 CFR 431.448(b), DOE published Advanced Energy's 
petition in the Federal Register on July 8, 2019, and requested public 
comments. 84 FR 32437. DOE did not receive any comments responding to 
the petition.
    As required by 10 CFR 431.21(d) and 10 CFR 431.448(d), DOE 
subsequently published a notification of interim determination 
regarding Advanced Energy's petition and solicited comments. 85 FR 
70520 (December 23, 2019). In the notification of interim 
determination, DOE noted that, after reviewing submitted materials and 
having received no comments, that it found no specific cause to reject 
the petition. It tentatively determined that Advanced Energy meets the 
requirements at 10 CFR 431.20 and 10 CFR 431.21 for electric motors and 
at 10 CFR 431.447 and 10 CFR 431.448 for small electric motors because 
they (1) have satisfactory standards and procedures for conducting and 
administering a certification system, (2) are independent of electric 
motor and small electric motor manufacturers, and (3) have expertise 
with both the electric motors and small electric motors test 
procedures.
    In response to the notice of interim determination, GE Industrial 
Motors, a manufacturer, submitted a comment to DOE on January 22, 2020. 
GE Industrial Motors (``GE'') expressed concerns regarding Advanced 
Energy's procedures to ensure (1) no other manufacturers would be 
present during testing of a competitor's motor; (2) the test data is 
kept confidential; and (3) Advanced Energy would not analyze and 
compare test data from various manufacturers. (GE, No. 10 at p. 1) 
Advanced Energy submitted a response to DOE regarding GE's comment. 
(Advanced Energy, No. 11.1 at p. 1) Advanced Energy stated that it 
requires all clients to review, sign and return appropriate 
documentation to ensure confidentiality. These documents include: (1) 
ISO-IEC 17065 Operations Manual; (2) Standard Operating Procedure; (3) 
Certification Scheme; (4) Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement and Hold 
Harmless; and (5) Client Agreement and Terms of Service. Specifically, 
Advanced Energy cited section 4.5 of the ISO-IEC 17065 Operations 
Manual, which covers confidentiality. Advanced Energy provided copies 
of all five documents as

[[Page 40272]]

part of their response to GE.\2\ Advanced Energy added that it 
developed a mechanism for safeguarding impartiality as described in 
Section 5.2 of the ISO-IEC 17065 Operations Manual and explained that 
these specific procedures mitigate the risks mentioned by GE. (Advanced 
Energy, No. 11.1 at p.1)
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    \2\ Copies of these documents were added to the docket (Advanced 
Energy, No. 11.2--No 11.6)
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    In reviewing the comment and response, DOE finds no specific cause 
to reject Advanced Energy's request for recognition as a nationally 
recognized certification program for electric motors and small electric 
motors. Therefore, the Department hereby announces its final 
determination pursuant to 10 CFR 431.21(d) and 10 CFR 431.448(d) that 
Advanced Energy is classified as a nationally recognized certification 
program for electric motors and small electric motors.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 26, 
2020, by Alexander N. Fitzsimmons, Deputy Assistant Secretary for 
Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, pursuant to 
delegated authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with 
the original signature and date is maintained by DOE. For 
administrative purposes only, and in compliance with requirements of 
the Office of the Federal Register, the undersigned DOE Federal 
Register Liaison Officer has been authorized to sign and submit the 
document in electronic format for publication, as an official document 
of the Department of Energy. This administrative process in no way 
alters the legal effect of this document upon publication in the 
Federal Register.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on June 30, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-14400 Filed 7-2-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P