[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2023)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 10856-10857]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-03547]


 ========================================================================
 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. 88, No. 35 / Wednesday, February 22, 2023 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 10856]]



DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

10 CFR Part 430

[EERE-2019-BT-STD-0018]
RIN 1904-AE12


Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 
Distribution Transformers; Extension of Public 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 January 11, 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'') 
published a notice of proposed rulemaking and announcement of public 
meeting (``NOPR'') proposing amended energy conservation standards for 
distribution transformers, and also to announce a public meeting to 
receive comment on the proposed standards and associated analyses and 
results. The notice provided an opportunity for submitting written 
comments, data, and information by March 13, 2023. DOE received a 
request from Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc.; a joint request from the American 
Public Power Association (APPA), Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and 
the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA); and a 
request from the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace, and 
Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) to extend the written 
comment period. DOE has reviewed these requests and is granting an 
extension of the comment period for 14 days to allow public comments to 
be submitted until March 27, 2023.

DATES: The comment period for the NOPR published on January 11, 2023 
(88 FR 1722) is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and 
information regarding this NOPR received no later than March 27, 2023.

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-2019-BT-STD-0018, 
by any of the following methods:
    Email: [email protected]. Include the 
docket number EERE-2019-BT-STD-0018 in the subject line of the message.
    Postal Mail: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, U.S. 
Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: 
(202) 287-1445. If possible, please submit all items on a compact disc 
(``CD''), in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.
    Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, 
U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 L'Enfant 
Plaza SW, 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: (202) 287-1445. 
If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not 
necessary to include printed copies.
    No telefacsimiles (``faxes'') will be accepted.
    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 
information that is exempt from public disclosure.
    The docket web page can be found at www.regulations.gov/docket/EERE-2019-BT-STD-0018. 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-2J, 
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: 
(202) 586-9870. Email: [email protected].
    Mr. Matthew Ring, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General 
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 
Telephone: (202) 586-2555. Email: [email protected].
    For further information on how to submit a comment, review other 
public comments and the docket, or participate in the public meeting, 
contact the Appliance and Equipment Standards Program staff at (202) 
287-1445 or by email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 11, 2023, DOE published a notice 
of proposed rulemaking (``NOPR'') proposing amended energy conservation 
standards for distribution transformers, and also announced a public 
meeting to receive comment on these proposed standards and associated 
analyses and results. The notice provided an opportunity for submitting 
written comments, data, and information by March 13, 2023. 88 FR 1722. 
On January 12, 2023, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (``Cleveland Cliffs''), 
requested that DOE extend the deadline for the comment period on the 
NOPR by a minimum of 30 days. Cleveland Cliffs stated the proposal 
requires detailed technical and economic analysis by every facet of the 
transformer supply chain. (Cleveland Cliffs, No. 66 at p. 1). On 
January 30, 2023, the American Public Power Association (APPA), Edison 
Electric Institute (EEI), and the National Rural Electric Cooperative 
Association (NRECA) jointly requested an extension of the comment 
period extension for 60 additional days stating that an extension will 
provide valuable time for all parties to contemplate, consider, 
research, and meaningfully respond to the important issues implicated 
by the proposed rule. (APPA, EEI, and NRECA, No. 67 at p. 2). On 
February 12, 2023, the International Union, United Automobile, 
Aerospace, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) 
requested an extension of the comment period for at least another 30 
days. UAW stated that they are working to understand the full extent of 
the impact of the proposed standards on both their members and the 
communities that rely on electric power. (UAW, No. 68 at p. 1).
    DOE has reviewed these requests and is extending the comment period 
by 14 days to allow additional time for interested parties to submit 
comments. DOE notes the complexities of the current distribution 
transformer market, including the intersection with steel

[[Page 10857]]

manufacturing and diversification as well as labor concerns. DOE 
believes these complexities provide unique grounds that warrant 
additional time, which will allow for meaningful input on DOE's 
proposed energy conservation standards for distribution transformers 
from all stakeholders. DOE believes 14 days is sufficient for these 
purposes. Therefore, DOE is extending the comment period until March 
27, 2023.

Signing Authority

    This document of the Department of Energy was signed on February 
14, 2023, by Francisco Alejandro Moreno, 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 February 15, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-03547 Filed 2-21-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P