[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 203 (Monday, October 21, 2024)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 84076-84077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24158]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[EERE-2014-BT-STD-0005]
RIN 1904-AF57
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for
Consumer Conventional Cooking Products
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of
Energy.
ACTION: Publication of determination.
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SUMMARY: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (EPCA), as
amended, requires that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) make a
determination on the impact, if any, of any lessening of competition
likely to result from an energy conservation standard and that the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) publish such determination in the Federal
Register. DOE published a direct final rule and accompanying notice of
proposed rulemaking for consumer conventional cooking products on
February 14, 2024. In accordance with EPCA, DOE is publishing DOJ's
determination of the impact, if any, the energy conservation standards
for consumer conventional cooking products will have on competition.
DATES: The DOJ determination is dated April 9, 2024.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Carl Shapiro, 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) 287-5649. Email: [email protected].
Mr. Pete Cochran, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General
Counsel, GC-33, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121.
Telephone: (240) 961-1189. Email: [email protected].
[[Page 84077]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 14, 2024, DOE published a direct
final rule (89 FR 11434) and accompanying notice of proposed rulemaking
(89 FR 11548) for consumer conventional cooking products. The Energy
Conservation and Policy Act of 1975 (42 U.S.C. 6291, et seq.;
``EPCA''), as amended, requires that DOJ make a determination of the
impact, if any, of any lessening of competition likely to result from
an energy conservation standard. (42 U.S.C. 6295(o)(2)(B)(ii)) EPCA
also requires that DOE publish the determination in the Federal
Register. Id.
On April 9, 2024, DOJ sent DOE a determination that the energy
conservation standards for consumer conventional cooking products are
unlikely to have a significant adverse impact on competition. DOE is
publishing DOJ's determination at the end of this document.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on October 10,
2024, by Jeffrey Marootian, 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 October 15, 2024.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
Note: The following appendix will not appear in the Code of
Federal Regulations.
Appendix A
April 9, 2024
Ami Grace-Tardy
Assistant General Counsel for
Legislation, Regulation and Energy Efficiency
U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585
[email protected]
Re: Consumer Conventional Cooking Products Energy Conservation
Standards
DOE Docket No. EERE-2014-BT-STD-0005
Dear Assistant General Counsel Grace-Tardy:
I am responding to your February 16, 2024, letter seeking the
views of the Attorney General about the potential impact on
competition of proposed energy conservation standards for consumer
conventional cooking products.
Your request was submitted under Section 325(o)(2)(B)(i)(V) of
the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (ECPA), 42 U.S.C.
6295(o)(2)(B)(i)(V), which requires the Attorney General to
determine the impact of any lessening of competition that is likely
to result from the imposition of proposed energy conservation
standards. The Attorney General's responsibility for responding to
requests from other departments about the effect of a program on
competition has been delegated to the Assistant Attorney General for
the Antitrust Division in 28 CFR 0.40(g). The Assistant Attorney
General for the Antitrust Division has authorized me, as the Policy
Director for the Antitrust Division, to provide the Antitrust
Division's views regarding the potential impact on competition of
proposed energy conservation standards on his behalf.
In conducting its analysis, the Antitrust Division examines
whether a proposed standard may lessen competition, for example, by
substantially limiting consumer choice, by placing certain
manufacturers at an unjustified competitive disadvantage, or by
inducing avoidable inefficiencies in production or distribution of
particular products. A lessening of competition could result in
higher prices to manufacturers and consumers.
We have reviewed the proposed standards contained in the direct
final rulemaking, the notice of proposed rulemaking (89 FR 11548,
February 14, 2024) and the related Technical Support Documents. We
have also reviewed public comments and information provided by
industry participants.
Based on this review, our conclusion is that the proposed energy
conservation standards for consumer conventional cooking products
are unlikely to have a significant adverse impact on competition.
Sincerely,
/s/
David G.B. Lawrence,
Policy Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-24158 Filed 10-18-24; 8:45 am]
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