[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 102 (Thursday, May 26, 2022)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 31964-31965]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-11323]


 ========================================================================
 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. 102 / Thursday, May 26, 2022 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 31964]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 431

[EERE-2017-BT-STD-0022]
RIN 1904-AE47


Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
Automatic Commercial Ice Makers; Reopening of Public Comment Period

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

ACTION: Notification of availability of preliminary technical support 
document; reopening of public comment period.

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

SUMMARY: On March 25, 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published in the Federal Register a notification of a webinar and 
availability of preliminary technical support document for automatic 
commercial ice makers (``ACIMs''), with a deadline for submitting 
comments of May 24, 2022. Since publication of the proposed rule, DOE 
has received four requests to extend the comment period. DOE has 
reviewed these requests and is reopening the comment period until June 
7, 2022.

DATES: The comment period for the notification of a preliminary 
analysis regarding energy conservation standards for ACIMs published in 
the Federal Register on March 25, 2022 (87 FR 17025) is reopened to 
June 7, 2022. Written comments, data, and information are requested and 
will be accepted on and before June 7, 2022.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using 
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov under docket 
number EERE-2017-BT-STD-0022. Follow the instructions for submitting 
comments. Alternatively, comments may be submitted by email to: 
[email protected]. Include docket number EERE-2017-BT-STD-0022 
in the subject line of the message.
    No telefacsimiles (``faxes'') will be accepted. For detailed 
instructions on submitting comments and additional information on this 
process, see section IV of this document.
    Although DOE has routinely accepted public comment submissions 
through a variety of mechanisms, including the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal, email, 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.
    To inform interested parties and to facilitate this rulemaking 
process, DOE has prepared an agenda, a preliminary TSD, and briefing 
materials, which are available on the DOE website at: 
www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2020-BT-STD-0014.
    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 those 
containing information that is exempt from public disclosure.
    The docket web page can be found at www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=EERE-2017-BT-STD-0022. The docket web page contains 
instructions on how to access all documents, including public comments 
in the docket. See section IV for information on how to submit comments 
through www.regulations.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Dr. Stephanie Johnson, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies, EE-2J, 1000 
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: (202) 
287-1943 Email: [email protected].
    Ms. Sarah Butler, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-1777. Email: [email protected].
    For further information on how to submit a comment, 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 25, 2022, DOE published a 
notification of a webinar and availability of preliminary technical 
support document for ACIMs. This document announced a public meeting 
webinar would be held on April 25, 2022, and a comment period deadline 
of May 24, 2022. Additionally, on March 24, 2022, DOE received a 
request from the Hoshizaki America, Inc. to move the webinar date due 
to a conflict with an industry-wide Conference. To accommodate these 
scheduling issues, DOE moved the public meeting webinar for ACIMs to 
Thursday, May 5, 2022. On May 16, 2022, DOE received a comment from the 
American Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Institute (AHRI) 
seeking a 60-day extension of the public comment period for ACIMs. AHRI 
justified their request citing a need for more time to gather data and 
to avoid other meeting conflicts. On May 17, 2022, DOE received a 
comment from the North American Association of Food Equipment 
Manufacturers (NAFEM) seeking a 60-day extension of the public comment 
period for ACIMs. NAFEM justified their request citing a need for more 
time to gather data and to avoid other meeting conflicts. On May 18, 
2022, DOE received a comment from the Association of Home Appliance 
Manufacturers (AHAM) seeking a 60-day extension of the public comment 
period for ACIMs. AHAM justified their request citing that this comment 
period overlaps with other DOE comment periods and a need for a 
response from DOE on a question regarding the shipments analysis that 
came up during the May 5, 2022, ACIM webinar. The response to question 
about the shipments analysis that was raised by AHAM on the May 5, 
2022, webinar is

[[Page 31965]]

in the docket EERE-2017-BT-STD-0022-0010.
    Through this notification, DOE will reopen the comment period and 
accept submissions of comments, data, information until June 7, 2022. 
Accordingly, DOE will now accept written comments and information on 
the notification of a preliminary analysis regarding energy 
conservation standards for ACIMs submitted on and before June 7, 2022.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on May 23, 
2022, by Kelly J. 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 May 23, 2022.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2022-11323 Filed 5-25-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P