[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 100 (Wednesday, May 26, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 28298-28299]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10883]


 ========================================================================
 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. 86, No. 100 / Wednesday, May 26, 2021 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 28298]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Parts 429 and 431

[EERE-2016-BT-STD-0004]
RIN 1904-AD61 and 1904-AD77


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedure and Energy 
Conservation Standards for Circulator Pumps and Small Vertical In-Line 
Pumps

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

ACTION: Request for information; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On May 7, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published a request for information (``RFI'') restarting rulemaking 
activities to consider potential test procedures and energy 
conservation standards for circulator pumps and small vertical in-line 
pumps. The notification provided an opportunity for submitting written 
comments, data, and information by July 6, 2021. DOE received requests 
from Grundfos, the Hydraulic Institute (``HI''), and Taco, Inc. on May 
7, 2021, May 10, 2021, and May 14, 2021, respectively, asking DOE to 
extend the public comment period until August 30, 2021. Additionally, 
DOE received a request from Xylem Inc. to extend the comment period 
until September 30, 2021. On May 14, 2021, HI sent a follow-up request 
providing more information on why an extension is necessary. DOE has 
reviewed these requests and is granting an extension of the public 
comment period to allow public comments to be submitted until July 30, 
2021.

DATES: The comment period for the RFI published on May 7, 2021 (86 FR 
24516) is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and information 
regarding this RFI received no later than July 30, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at https://www.regulations.gov. Follow 
the instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested 
persons may submit comments by email to the following address: 
[email protected]. Include ``Circulator Pumps RFI'' and docket 
number EERE-2016-BT-STD-0004 and/or RIN number 1904-AD61 in the subject 
line of the message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, 
Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and the use of special 
characters or any form of encryption. No telefacsimilies (``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 www.regulations.gov. All documents in the 
docket are listed in the 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: www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2016-BT-STD-0004. 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, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Office, EE-2J, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: 
(202) 586-9870. Email: [email protected].
Ms. Amelia Whiting, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-2588. 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: On May 7, 2021, DOE published an RFI seeking 
data and information regarding development and evaluation of new test 
procedures that would be reasonably designed to produce test results 
which reflect energy use during a representative average use cycle for 
the equipment without being unduly burdensome to conduct. Additionally, 
the RFI solicited information regarding the development and evaluation 
of potential new energy conservation standards for circulator pumps and 
small vertical in-line pumps, and whether such standards would result 
in significant energy savings and be technologically feasible and 
economically justified. 86 FR 24516, 24516. Interested parties in the 
matter, Grundfos (on May 7, 2021), HI (on May 10, 2021), Xylem Inc. (on 
May 11, 2021), and Taco, Inc. (on May 14, 2021), requested an extension 
of the public comment period for the RFI. (Grundfos, No. 105 at p. 1; 
HI, No. 106 at p. 1; Xylem Inc., No. 107, at p. 1; Taco, Inc., No. 108, 
at p. 1).\1\ Grundos, HI, Xylem Inc., and Taco, Inc. commented that the 
July 6, 2021 deadline is insufficient to collect the data and 
information requested because the pump industry is already tasked with 
responding to a separate RFI on Commercial and Industrial pumps in 
which comments are due on July 1, 2021. (Grundos, No. 105 at p. 1; HI, 
No. 106 at p. 1; Xylem Inc., No. 107 at p. 1; Taco, Inc., No 108 at p. 
1) HI submitted a subsequent request on May 14, 2021 further

[[Page 28299]]

detailing the reasons that necessitate the extension request. (HI, No. 
109, page 1.).
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    \1\ The parenthetical reference provides a reference for 
information located in DOE's rulemaking docket. (Docket No. EERE-
2016-BT-STD-0004, which is maintained at www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2016-BT-STD-0004). The references are arranged 
as follows: (Commenter name, comment docket ID number, page of that 
document).
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    DOE has reviewed the requests and is extending the comment period 
to allow additional time for interested parties to submit comments. As 
noted, the RFI was issued as part of the preliminary stages of 
rulemaking to consider amendments to the test procedure and energy 
conservation standards for circulator pumps and vertical in-line pumps. 
If DOE determines that amended test procedures and/or energy 
conservation standards may be appropriate, additional notifications 
will be published (e.g., a notice of proposed rulemaking) providing 
interested parties with an additional opportunity to submit comment. As 
such, DOE has determined that an extension until the end of July is 
sufficient for this preliminary stage. Therefore, DOE is extending the 
comment period to July 30, 2021.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on May 18, 
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 May 19, 2021.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-10883 Filed 5-25-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P