[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 28, 2026)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 47155-47156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15211]
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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. 91, No. 143 / Tuesday, July 28, 2026 /
Proposed Rules
[[Page 47155]]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
10 CFR Part 430
[EERE-2025-BT-STD-0001]
RIN 1904-AF72
Energy Conservation Program: Procedures, Interpretations, and
Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation
Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Certain
Commercial/Industrial Equipment; Extension of Public Comment Period
AGENCY: Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, Department
of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of public comment
period.
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SUMMARY: On July 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy (``DOE'')
published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking
(``NOPR'') and announcement of webinar proposing to update the
Department's current rulemaking methodology titled, ``Procedures,
Interpretations, and Policies for Consideration of New or Revised
Energy Conservation Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products
and Certain Commercial/Industrial Equipment.'' The notice provided an
opportunity for submitting written comments by August 6, 2026. On July
13, 2026, DOE received a joint request from multiple trade
organizations to extend the public comment period to September 8, 2026.
DOE has reviewed this request and is granting a 15-day extension of the
public comment period so as to allow public comments to be submitted
until August 21, 2026.
DATES: The comment period for the NOPR published on July 7, 2026 (91 FR
42034) is extended. DOE will accept comments, data, and information
regarding this NOPR received no later than August 21, 2026.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons are encouraged to submit comments using
the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov under docket
number EERE-2025-BT-STD-0001. Follow the instructions for submitting
comments. Alternatively, interested persons may submit comments,
identified by docket number EERE-2025-BT-STD-0001 and/or regulatory
identification number (``RIN'') 1904-AF72, by any of the following
methods:
(1) Email: [email protected]. Include the docket
number EERE-2025-BT-STD-0001 and/or RIN 1904-AF72 in the subject line
of the message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft
Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and avoid the use of special
characters or any form of encryption.
(2) Postal Mail: Appliance and Equipment Standards Program, U.S.
Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop CM-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.
(3) Hand Delivery/Courier: Appliance and Equipment Standards
Program, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 1000
Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 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, public meeting attendee lists and transcripts,
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-2025-BT-STD-0001. The docket web page contains instructions on how
to access all documents, including public comments, in the docket.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Appliance Standards Program, U.S.
Department of Energy, Office of Critical Minerals and Energy
Innovation, Building Technologies Office, CM-5B, 1000 Independence
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585-0121. 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: (202) 586-4798. 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]. A plain language summary of the
rule is also available on the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 7, 2026, DOE published a NOPR and
announcement of webinar proposing to update the Department's current
rulemaking methodology titled, ``Procedures, Interpretations, and
Policies for Consideration of New or Revised Energy Conservation
Standards and Test Procedures for Consumer Products and Certain
Commercial/Industrial Equipment'' (aka the ``Process Rule''). The
notice provided an opportunity for submitting written comments by
August 6, 2026. 91 FR 42034. On July 13, 2026, DOE received a joint
request from the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration
Institute; Air Movement and Control Association International;
Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers; North American Association
of Food Equipment Manufacturers; National Electrical Manufacturers
Association; and Plumbing Manufacturers International (collectively,
the ``Joint Commenters'') to extend the written comment period to
September 8, 2026. (Joint Commenters, No. 42 at p. 1) The Joint
Commenters stated that the scope and complexity of the proposed
revisions required additional time for a thorough analysis. (Joint
Commenters, No. 42 at p. 2) Additionally, the Joint Commenters stated
that the NOPR is closely related to DOE's concurrently issued
Analytical Methodology Request
[[Page 47156]]
for Information,\1\ which provided an opportunity for submitting
written comments by September 8, 2026. The Joint Commenters requested
that the two comment periods be aligned so that stakeholders can
develop and submit consistent comments across both dockets. Id. Several
of these comments also reiterated their request for comment extension
during the course of the Process Rule NOPR webinar held on July 15,
2026.
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\1\ Energy Conservation Program: Review of DOE's Analytic
Methods for Setting Energy Conservation Standards; Docket No. EERE-
2022-BT-OT-0004. 91 FR 41578 (July 7, 2026).
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DOE has reviewed the request and considered the benefit of allowing
interested parties additional time to submit comments regarding the
July 7, 2026 NOPR for DOE's consideration. Accordingly, DOE has
determined that an extension of the public comment period is
appropriate and is hereby extending the comment period by 15 days,
until August 21, 2026.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on July 23,
2026, by Audrey Robertson, Assistant Secretary (EERE) for Critical
Minerals and Energy Innovation, 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 July 23, 2026.
Jennifer Hartzell,
Alternate Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2026-15211 Filed 7-27-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P