[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 205 (Wednesday, October 27, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59308-59309]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23229]


 ========================================================================
 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. 205 / Wednesday, October 27, 2021 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 59308]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Parts 429 and 431

[EERE-2021-BT-TP-0021]


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Fans and Blowers

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 October 1, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published a request for information (``RFI'') undertaking the 
preliminary stages of a rulemaking to consider potential test 
procedures for fans and blowers, including air circulating fan heads. 
The RFI provided an opportunity for submitting written comments, data, 
and information by November 1, 2021. DOE received requests from the Air 
Movement and Control Association (AMCA) International asking for a 21-
day extension of the public comment period. DOE has reviewed this 
request and is granting an extension of the public comment period for 
14 days to allow public comments to be submitted until November 15, 
2021.

DATES: The comment period for the RFI published on October 1, 2021 (86 
FR 54412) is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and information 
regarding this RFI received no later than November 15, 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-2021-BT-TP-0021, 
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-2021-BT-TP-0021 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 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: www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/65. 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-5B, 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 October 1, 2021, DOE published a RFI 
undertaking the preliminary stages of a rulemaking to consider 
potential test procedures for fans and blowers, including air 
circulating fan heads. DOE is seeking data and information to evaluate 
whether new test procedures would accurately and fully comply with the 
requirement that a test procedure measures energy use during a 
representative average use cycle for the equipment without being unduly 
burdensome to conduct. Specifically, DOE is seeking information 
regarding the definition, scope, test procedure and metrics for air 
circulating fan heads. 86 FR 54412. On October 15, 2021, AMCA requested 
an extension of the public comment period for the RFI. AMCA commented 
that the extension is necessary to research the issues that DOE is 
asking about and to collaborate with other organizations responding to 
the RFI. AMCA stated that they believe an extension will serve the 
public interest through improving not only the quality of the 
information industry submits to the department, but also increasing the 
likelihood of presenting the department with consensus recommendations 
on many of the questions being asked. (AMCA, No. 2 at p. 1) \1\
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    \1\ The parenthetical reference provides a reference for 
information located in DOE's rulemaking docket. (Docket No. EERE-
2021-BT-TP-0021, which is maintained at www.regulations.gov/comment/EERE-2021-BT-TP-0021-0002). 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 a 
rulemaking to consider potential test procedures for fans and blowers, 
including air circulating fan heads. If DOE determines that test 
procedures 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. DOE has 
determined

[[Page 59309]]

that an extension of 14 days is sufficient for this preliminary stage. 
Therefore, DOE is extending the comment period until November 15, 2021.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on October 19, 
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 October 20, 2021.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-23229 Filed 10-26-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P