[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 67 (Friday, April 9, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 18478-18479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-07301]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[EERE-2019-BT-STD-0036]
RIN 1904-AE82


Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
Consumer Products; Early Assessment Review; Boilers

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

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On March 25, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the 
Department) published in the Federal Register an early assessment 
request for information (RFI) pertaining to the potential amendment of 
energy conservation standards for consumer boilers. The early 
assessment RFI provided an opportunity for submission of written 
comments, data, and information to the Department by April 26, 2021. 
Prior to the end of the comment period for the RFI, DOE received 
requests from the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute 
(AHRI), as well as from the American Public Gas Association (APGA), 
seeking additional time to consider the issues raised in the early 
assessment RFI. In light of these requests, DOE is announcing its 
decision to extend the comment period on the subject RFI for an 
additional 30 days.

DATES: The comment period for the consumer boilers early assessment RFI 
published in the Federal Register on March 25, 2021 (86 FR 15804) is 
extended to May 26, 2021. Written comments, data, and information are 
requested and will be accepted on or before May 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested 
persons may submit comments by email to the following address: Email: 
[email protected]. Include ``Consumer Boilers RFI'' 
and docket number EERE-2019-BT-STD-0036 and/or RIN 1904-AE82 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. No telefacsimiles (faxes) will be 
accepted.
    Although DOE has routinely accepted public comment submissions 
through a variety of mechanisms, including postal mail and hand 
delivery/courier, the Department has found it necessary to make 
temporary modifications to the comment submission process in light of 
the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. DOE is currently accepting only 
electronic submissions at this time. If a commenter finds that this 
change poses an undue hardship, please contact Appliance Standards 
Program staff at (202) 586-1445 to discuss the need for alternative 
arrangements. Once the Covid-19 pandemic health emergency is resolved, 
DOE anticipates resuming all of its regular options for public comment 
submission, including postal mail and hand delivery/courier.
    Docket: 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: http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2019-BT-STD-0036. The docket web page contains 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments, 
in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Catherine Rivest, 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) 586-7335. Email: 
[email protected].
    Mr. Eric Stas, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
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: DOE published an early assessment RFI 
pertaining to energy conservation standards for consumer boilers in the 
Federal Register on March 25, 2021. 86 FR 15804. The early assessment 
RFI initiated a data collection process and seeks input from the public 
to assist DOE in evaluating whether amended energy conservation 
standards for consumer boilers would result in significant savings of 
energy, be technologically feasible, and be economically justified. In 
that early assessment RFI, DOE requested submission of written comment, 
data, and information pertaining to that subject by April 26, 2021.
    On March 31, 2021, AHRI, an interested party in the matter, 
submitted a request \1\ for a 30-day extension of the public comment 
period for the early assessment RFI for consumer boilers that DOE 
previously published in the

[[Page 18479]]

Federal Register on March 25, 2021. More specifically, AHRI requested 
additional time to consider the issues raised in the early assessment 
RFI for consumer boilers.
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    \1\ Available at https://www.regulations.gov/comment/EERE-2019-BT-STD-0036-0002.
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    On April 2, 2021, APGA also submitted a request \2\ for a 30-day 
extension of the public comment period for the consumer boilers early 
assessment RFI, for similar reasons to those expressed in the AHRI 
request.
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    \2\ Available at https://www.regulations.gov/comment/EERE-2019-BT-STD-0036-0003.
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    After carefully considering these submissions, DOE has determined 
that it is appropriate to grant these requests to extend the comment 
period by 30 days to allow additional time for interested parties to 
prepare and submit comments. Therefore, DOE is extending the comment 
period for the consumer boilers early assessment RFI and will accept 
comments, data, and information on this matter received on and before 
May 26, 2021. Accordingly, DOE will consider any comments received by 
this date to be timely submitted.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on April 2, 
2021, by Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary 
and Acting Assistant Secretary for 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 April 6, 2021.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-07301 Filed 4-8-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P