[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 5 (Friday, January 7, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 890-891]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-28542]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 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.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 5 / Friday, January 7, 2022 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 890]]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Parts 429 and 430

[EERE-2020-BT-TP-0012]
RIN 1904-AE49


Energy Conservation Program: Test Procedures for Battery 
Chargers; Extension of Comment Period

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

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of public comment 
period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: On November 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comment 
proposing to amend the test procedures for battery chargers to improve 
test procedure representativeness. The document provided a comment 
period deadline for submitting written comments, data, and information 
by January 24, 2022. DOE received a joint request from interested 
parties seeking a 30-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 February 7, 2022.

DATES: The comment period for the proposal published on November 23, 
2021 (86 FR 66878) is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and 
information regarding this proposal that are received no later than 
February 7, 2022.

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-2020-BT-TP-0012, 
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-2020-BT-TP-0012 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: www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2020-BT-TP-0012. 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].
    Mr. Michael Kido, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-8145. 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 November 23, 2021, the U.S. Department of 
Energy (``DOE'') published a notice of proposed rulemaking and request 
for comment proposing to amend the test procedures for battery chargers 
to improve test procedure representativeness. 86 FR 66878. The proposal 
would: Establish a new appendix Y1 that would expand coverage of 
inductive wireless battery chargers and establish associated 
definitions and test provisions; establish a new test procedure 
approach that relies on separate metrics for active mode, stand-by, and 
off-mode (consequently removing the battery charger usage profiles and 
unit energy consumption calculation); and update the wall adapter 
selection criteria. DOE also proposed changes to appendix Y to 
reorganize two subsections, to clarify symbology and references, to 
correct an incorrect cross reference and section title, to update the 
list of battery chemistries, and to terminate an existing test 
procedure waiver because the covered subject models have been 
discontinued. DOE further proposed to mirror these changes in the newly 
proposed appendix Y1. DOE is seeking comment from interested parties on 
the proposals. The document provided an opportunity for submitting 
written comments, data, and information by January 24, 2022.
    On December 16, 2021, DOE received a joint request from the 
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Consumer Technology 
Association, Information Technology Industry Council, National 
Electrical Manufacturers Association, Outdoor Power Equipment 
Institute, Plumbing Manufacturers Institute, and Power Tool Institute 
requesting a 30-day extension of the period comment period. These joint 
requesters noted that the comment period occurred during the 
Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years holidays and because of vacation 
schedules, it has been difficult to gather members for meetings to 
review the proposal and develop meaningful

[[Page 891]]

comment. The joint request also noted that additional time is needed to 
fully evaluate the significant and complex changes, including new 
metrics, being proposed and that the statutory deadline for battery 
chargers is not in danger of being missed. (Joint Requesters, No. 17 at 
p. 1).\1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The parenthetical reference provides a reference to the 
comment extension request in DOE's rulemaking docket. (Docket No. 
EERE-2020-BT-TP-0012, which is maintained at www.regulations.gov/comment/EERE-2020-BT-TP-0012-0017). The references are arranged as 
follows: (Commenter name, comment docket ID number, page of that 
document).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    DOE has reviewed the request from these interested parties and has 
decided to extend the comment period to allow additional time for 
interested parties to submit comments. DOE has determined that an 
extension of 14 days is sufficient for this stage of the rulemaking. 
Therefore, DOE is extending the comment period until February 7, 2022.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December 
28, 2021, by Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy 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 December 30, 2021.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2021-28542 Filed 1-6-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P