[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 30, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 34639-34640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13986]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[EERE-2019-BT-STD-0043]
RIN 1904-AE61


Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
Dehumidifiers

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

ACTION: Extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: On June 4, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published a request for information (``RFI'') pertaining to the energy 
conservation standards for dehumidifiers. The notice provided an 
opportunity for submitting written comments, data, and information by 
July 6, 2021. On June 18, 2021, DOE received a request from the 
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (``AHAM'') to extend the 
public comment period by 30 days. DOE has reviewed this request and is 
granting a 15-day extension of the public comment period to allow 
public comments to be submitted until July 21, 2021.

DATES: The comment period for the RFI published on June 4, 2021 (86 FR 
29964), is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and information 
regarding this RFI on or before July 21, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments. Alternatively, interested persons 
may submit comments, identified by docket number EERE-2019-BT-STD-0043 
by any of the following methods:
    1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov. Follow the 
instructions for submitting comments.
    2. Email: To [email protected]. Include docket 
number EERE-2019-BT-STD-0043 in the subject line of the message.
    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 suspending receipt of 
public comments via postal mail and hand delivery/courier. 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, not all 
documents listed in the index may be publicly available, such as 
information that is exempt from public disclosure.
    The docket web page can be found at: www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2019-BT-STD-0043. The docket web page contains instructions on how 
to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Bryan Berringer, 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) 586-0371. Email: 
[email protected].
    Mr. Pete Cochran, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-9496. 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 June 4, 2021, DOE published an RFI 
seeking data and information that could enable the agency to determine 
whether DOE should propose a ``no-new-standard'' determination because 
a more stringent standard: Would not result in a significant savings of 
energy; is not technologically feasible; is not economically justified; 
or any combination of the foregoing. 86 FR 29964. On June 18, 2021, an 
interested party in the matter, AHAM, requested a 30-day extension of 
the public comment period for the RFI.\1\ AHAM asked for this 
additional time given that comments on DOE's preliminary technical 
support document for clothes dryers are also due on July 6, 2021. In 
addition, AHAM commented that the industry is spending a considerable 
amount of time responding to proposals from Natural Resources Canada 
related to five categories of home appliances, as well as DOE's 
proposed test procedure for direct heating equipment. AHAM stated that 
it understands and appreciates that DOE is working to move quickly on a 
number of rulemakings to satisfy the President's climate objectives as 
well as advance rulemakings that have missed statutory deadlines. AHAM 
noted that the statutory deadline for dehumidifiers is a year away and, 
thus, asserted that a brief delay in the comment period should not 
negatively impact DOE's ability to meet this deadline, nor should it 
detract from DOE's ability to catch up on other rulemakings, but it 
would significantly assist AHAM and its members in providing quality 
input on DOE's RFI.
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    \1\ AHAM submitted the request to DOE via email.
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    DOE has reviewed the request 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 stage of a 
rulemaking to consider amendments to the energy conservation standards 
for dehumidifiers. If DOE determines that amended energy conservation 
standards may be appropriate, additional notices will be

[[Page 34640]]

published (e.g., a notice of proposed rulemaking), providing interested 
parties additional opportunity to submit comments. As such, DOE has 
determined that a 15-day extension is sufficient for this preliminary 
stage. Therefore, DOE is extending the comment period to July 21, 2021.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on June 25, 
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 June 25, 2021.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-13986 Filed 6-29-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P