[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 86 (Wednesday, May 4, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 26303-26304]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-09554]
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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.
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Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 86 / Wednesday, May 4, 2022 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 26303]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[EERE-2017-BT-STD-0019]
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for
Consumer Products; Consumer Water Heaters; Reopening of Comment Period
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Request for information; reopening of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: On March 1, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the
Department) published in the Federal Register a notification of
availability of preliminary technical support document and request for
comment regarding energy conservation standards for consumer water
heaters. DOE received three requests to extend the public comment
period by 60 days. DOE has reviewed these requests and is reopening the
public comment period to allow comments to be submitted until May 16,
2022.
DATES: The comment period for the preliminary technical support
document published in the Federal Register on March 1, 2022 (87 FR
11327) is reopened until May 16, 2022. Written comments, data, and
information are requested and will be accepted on and before May 16,
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-2017-BT-STD-0019,
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-2017-BT-STD-0019 in the subject line of the message.
No telefacsimilies (``faxes'') will be accepted. For detailed
instructions on submitting comments and additional information on this
process, see ADDRESSES section.
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, 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 pages can be found at: www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2017-BT-STD-0019. The docket web page contains instructions on how
to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ms. Julia Hegarty, 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:
(240) 597-6737. 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: On March 1, 2022, DOE published in the
Federal Register a notification of availability of preliminary
technical support document and request for comment regarding energy
conservation standards for consumer water heaters. DOE stated it would
accept written comments, data, and information on the proposal by May
2, 2022. 87 FR 11327.
On April 8, 2022, and April 28, 2022, respectively, DOE received a
comment from the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI)
and a joint comment from the American Gas Association, American Public
Gas Association, National Propane Gas Association, Spire Inc., Spire
Missouri Inc., and Spire Alabama Inc. (collectively, the ``Joint
Commenters''), each requesting a 60-day extension of the public comment
period on the basis that DOE had made public the preliminary Technical
Support Document (``TSD'') one week after the notification was
published in the Federal Register.\1\ On April 28, 2022, DOE also
received a comment from ONE Gas, Inc. requesting a 21-day extension of
the public comment period to continue their review of the supplemental
analytical tools relating to the preliminary analysis.\2\
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\1\ See https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2017-BT-STD-0019/comments.
\2\ See https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2017-BT-STD-0019/comments.
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DOE has reviewed the request and is reopening the comment period to
allow additional time for interested parties to submit comments. In
light of DOE's one week delay in providing the preliminary TSD to the
public, DOE believes that additional time is warranted, and that
reopening the comment period until May 16, 2022, is sufficient.
Therefore, DOE is reopening the comment period until May 16, 2022.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on April 29,
2022, by Kelly J. Speakes-Backman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, pursuant to delegated
authority from the
[[Page 26304]]
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 29, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2022-09554 Filed 5-3-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P