[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 205 (Thursday, October 22, 2020)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 67312-67313]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-23318]


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 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. 85, No. 205 / Thursday, October 22, 2020 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 67312]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430 and 431

[EERE-2020-BT-STD-0018]


Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Energy 
Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces and Commercial Water 
Heaters; Notice of Final Interpretive Rule

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

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: In response to a petition for rulemaking submitted on October 
18, 2018 (Gas Industry Petition), the Department of Energy (DOE) 
published that petition in the Federal Register on November 1, 2018, 
for public review and input, and DOE subsequently published a proposed 
interpretive rule in the Federal Register on July 11, 2019. After 
carefully considering the public comments on its proposed interpretive 
rule, DOE tentatively determined to consider a more involved class 
structure which turns on maintenance of compatibility with existing 
venting categories, and published a notice of supplemental proposed 
interpretive rulemaking (``NOPIR'') on September 24, 2020. On September 
25, 2020, and October 6, 2020, DOE received comments requesting 
extension of the comment period on the NOPIR. On September 29, 2020, 
DOE received a comment from the submitters of the Gas Industry Petition 
requesting prompt action on their petition. Balancing these competing 
requests, DOE is extending the public comment period for submitting 
comments and data on the NOPIR to November 9, 2020.

DATES: The comment period for the NOPIR published on September 24, 2020 
(85 FR 60090) is extended until November 9, 2020. DOE will accept 
comments, data, and information regarding this NOPIR received no later 
than November 9, 2020.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments, 
identified by ``Energy Conservation Standards for Residential Furnaces 
and Commercial Water Heaters,'' by any of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    Email: [email protected]. Include 
Docket No. EERE-2018-BT-STD-0018 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.
    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.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 L'Enfant 
Plaza SW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 287-1445. 
If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not 
necessary to include printed copies.
    No telefacsimiles (faxes) will be accepted. For detailed 
instructions on submitting comments and additional information, see 
section IV of this document (Public Participation).
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents, or 
comments received, go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at: http://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE-2018-BT-STD-0018.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Ms. Lysia Bowling, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Energy, 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: (202) 430-1257. Email: 
[email protected].
    Mr. Eris Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: 
(202) 586-5827. Email: [email protected].
    For further information on how to submit a comment or review other 
public comments and the docket contact the Appliance and Equipment 
Standards Program staff at (202) 287-1445 or by email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a petition for rulemaking 
submitted on October 18, 2018, the Department of Energy (DOE) published 
that petition in the Federal Register on November 1, 2018 (83 FR 
54883), for public review and input, and DOE subsequently published a 
proposed interpretive rule in the Federal Register on July 11, 2019. 
(84 FR 33011) After carefully considering the public comments on its 
proposed interpretive rule, DOE tentatively determined to consider a 
more involved class structure which turns on maintenance of 
compatibility with existing venting categories, and published a NOPIR 
on September 24, 2020. (85 FR 60090) On September 25, 2020, and October 
6, 2020, DOE received comments from A.O. Smith and Lennox, 
respectively, requesting extension of the comment period on the NOPIR. 
Both commenters requested additional time due their assertion that the 
NOPIR addressed multiple product types and raised complex issues. On 
September 29, 2020, DOE received a comment from the submitters of the 
Gas Industry Petition requesting prompt action on their petition. The 
submitters of the Gas Industry Petition assert that the issues raised 
in the NOPIR did not have any material bearing on the justification for 
the specific findings in their Petition, which they claim DOE has 
already recognized in issuance of the original proposed interpretive 
rule, and therefore urged prompt action on their Petition. DOE has 
reviewed these competing requests and considered the benefit to 
stakeholders in providing additional time to review and comment on the 
NOPIR. Accordingly, in seeking to balance the interests at issue, DOE 
has determined that an extension of the comment period is appropriate, 
and is hereby extending the comment period until November 9, 2020.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on October 16, 
2020,

[[Page 67313]]

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 October 16, 2020.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2020-23318 Filed 10-21-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P