[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
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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. 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