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.

Proposed Rules Federal Register

28850 

Vol. 80, No. 97 

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Parts 429, 430, and 431 

[Docket Number EERE–2015–BT–TP–0007] 

RIN 1904–AC91 

Energy Conservation Program for 

Consumer Products and Certain 

Commercial and Industrial Equipment: 

Test Procedures for Consumer and 

Commercial Water Heaters 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Reopening of the public 

comment period and announcement of 

public meeting. 

SUMMARY: On April 14, 2015, the U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) published 

in the Federal Register a notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NOPR) that 

proposes mathematical conversion 

factors for converting from the current 

efficiency metrics (i.e., energy factor for 

residential water heaters, and thermal 

efficiency and standby loss for 

commercial water heaters) to the 

uniform efficiency descriptor (i.e., 

uniform energy factor metric). The 

comment period for the NOPR 

pertaining to the test procedures for 

water heaters was scheduled to end May 

14, 2015. After receiving a request for 

additional time to comment for 

stakeholders, DOE is reopening the 

comment period for the NOPR for the 

Conversion Factor for Test Procedures 

for Consumer and Certain Commercial 

Water Heaters to June 15, 2015. 

Additionally, at the request of 

stakeholders, DOE is announcing a 

public meeting to discuss the 

conversion factors for consumer and 

commercial water heaters. 

DATES: Comments: The comment period 

for the NOPR for the Conversion Factor 

for Test Procedures for Consumer and 

Certain Commercial Water Heaters 

published on April 14, 2015 (80 FR 

20116), is reopened. DOE will accept 

comments, data, and information 

regarding this NOPR before and after the 

public meeting, but no later than June 

15, 2015. 

Meeting: DOE will hold a public 

meeting on Thursday, May 28, 2015 

from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in 

Washington, DC. The meeting will also 

be broadcast as a webinar. 

ADDRESSES: Meeting: The meeting will 

be held at the U.S. Department of 

Energy, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, Room 7140, 

950 L’Enfant Plaza, Washington, DC 

20585. If you plan to attend the public 

meeting, please notify Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945 or Brenda.

Edwards@ee.doe.gov. For further 

details, see the ‘‘Public Participation’’ 

section near the end of this document. 

Comments: All comments submitted 

must identify the NOPR for the 

Conversion Factor for Test Procedures 

for Consumer and Certain Commercial 

Water Heaters, and provide docket 

number EERE–2015–BT–TP–0007 and/

or RIN 1904–AC91. 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 by any of the 

following methods: 

• Email: ConsumerCommWaterHtrs

2015TP0007@ee.doe.gov. Include the 

docket number and/or RIN 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. 

• Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, 

U.S. Department of Energy, Building 

Technologies Office, Mailstop EE–5B, 

1000 Independence Avenue SW., 

Washington, DC 20585–0121. 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: Ms. Brenda 

Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, 

Building Technologies Office, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza SW., 6th Floor, 

Washington, DC 20024. Telephone: 

(202) 586–2945. If possible, please 

submit all items on a CD, in which case 

it is not necessary to include printed 

copies. 

No telefacsimilies (faxes) will be 

accepted. For detailed instructions on 

submitting comments and additional 

information on the rulemaking process, 

see section V (Public Participation) of 

the April 14, 2015 NOPR for the 

Conversion Factor for Test Procedures 

for Consumer and Certain Commercial 

Water Heaters. 80 FR 20116. 

Docket: The docket is available for 

review at www.regulations.gov, 

including Federal Register notices, 

comments, and other supporting 

documents/materials. 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. 

A link to the docket Web page can be 

found at: http://www.regulations.gov/#

!docketDetail;D=EERE-2015-BT-TP0007. This Web page contains a link to 

the docket for this notice of proposed 

rulemaking on the www.regulations.gov 

site. The www.regulations.gov Web page 

contains simple instructions on how to 

access all documents, including public 

comments, in the docket. See section V, 

‘‘Public Participation,’’ of the April 14, 

2015 NOPR for information on how to 

submit comments through 

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Ashley Armstrong, 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) 586–6590. Email: 

Ashley.Armstrong@ee.doe.gov. 

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) 586–9507. Email: Eric.

Stas@hq.doe.gov. 

For information on how to submit a 

comment, to review other public 

comments and the docket, or to attend 

the public meeting, contact Ms. Brenda 

Edwards at (202) 586–2945 or by email: 

Brenda.Edwards@ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 

1975 (EPCA), as amended by the 

American Energy Manufacturing 

Technical Corrections Act (AEMTCA), 

Public Law 112–210, requires that DOE 

establish a uniform efficiency descriptor 

and accompanying test methods for 

covered residential water heaters and 

commercial water heating equipment 

within one year of the enactment of 

AEMTCA. (42 U.S.C. 6295(e)(5)(B)) 

Further, beginning one year after the 

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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 97 / Wednesday, May 20, 2015 / Proposed Rules 28851 

date of publication of DOE’s final rule 

establishing the uniform descriptor, 

EPCA requires that the efficiency 

standards for covered water heaters to 

be denominated according to the 

uniform efficiency descriptor 

established in the final rule (42 U.S.C. 

6295(e)(5)(D)) and that DOE develop a 

mathematical conversion factor for 

converting the measurement of 

efficiency for covered water heaters 

from the test procedures and metrics 

currently in effect to the new uniform 

energy descriptor. (42 U.S.C. 

6295(e)(5)(E)(i)–(ii)). On July 11, 2014, 

DOE published a final rule amending 

the test procedure for residential and 

certain commercial water heaters that 

satisfied the AEMTCA requirements to 

develop a uniform efficiency descriptor 

to replace the existing energy factor, 

thermal efficiency, and standby loss 

metrics. 79 FR 40542. Use of the 

amended test procedure is required 

beginning on July 13, 2015, for new 

testing. All representations must be 

based on the amended test procedure as 

of one year after the publication of a 

final rule that establishes a 

mathematical conversion factor. On 

April 14, 2015, DOE published a NOPR 

proposing mathematical conversion 

factors for converting from the current 

efficiency metrics (i.e., energy factor for 

residential water heaters, and thermal 

efficiency and standby loss for 

commercial water heaters) to the 

uniform efficiency descriptor (i.e., 

uniform energy factor metric). 80 FR 

20116 (April 14, 2015). 

In response to the NOPR for the 

Conversion Factor for Test Procedures 

for Consumer and Certain Commercial 

Water Heaters, the Air-Conditioning, 

Heating, and Refrigeration Institute 

(AHRI) requested a 60-day extension to 

the comment period, a public meeting, 

and a delay in compliance date for the 

test procedure. AHRI stated in its 

request that it needed additional time to 

analyze the specific conversion factors 

and underlying analysis, review the 

water heater tests conducted by DOE to 

assess to what extent those tests 

reflected the range of models covered by 

the test procedure, and evaluate the 

validity of the conclusions derived from 

the testing conducted by DOE as 

provided in the conversion factors and 

translated energy conservation 

standards. After careful consideration of 

this request, DOE has determined that 

extending the public comment period 

by reopening to allow additional time 

for interested parties to submit 

comments and that convening a public 

meeting are appropriate based on the 

foregoing reasons. Accordingly, DOE is 

granting approximately 30-day comment 

period extension and announcing a 

public meeting. In this document, DOE 

is reopening the comment period for the 

NOPR for the Conversion Factor for Test 

Procedures for Consumer and Certain 

Commercial Water Heaters to midnight 

of June 15, 2015 and will deem any 

comments received by that time to be 

timely submitted. Also, DOE will host a 

public meeting on Thursday, May 28, 

2015. Additional details on the public 

meeting are provided in the DATES and 

ADDRESSES sections of this document. 

DOE is not extending the compliance 

dates, which were set by statute based 

on the completion of various 

rulemakings. The test method will have 

been final for a year, and manufacturers 

should be able to test any new basic 

models using that test method. 

Furthermore, because the energy 

conservation standards for residential 

water heaters changed earlier this year, 

DOE expects that very few, new basic 

models will be introduced in the 

interim between July 13, 2015, and 

when the conversion factor final rule is 

effective. 

Public Participation 

All participants will undergo security 

processing upon building entry. Any 

participant with a laptop computer or 

similar device (e.g., tablets), must 

undergo additional screening. Note that 

any foreign national who requests to 

participate in the public meeting is 

subject to advance security screening 

prior to the date of the public meeting, 

and such persons should contact Ms. 

Brenda Edwards as soon as possible at 

(202) 586–2945 to commence the 

necessary procedures. 

Due to the REAL ID Act implemented 

by the Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS), there have been recent 

changes regarding identification (ID) 

requirements for individuals wishing to 

enter Federal buildings from specific 

States and U.S. territories. As a result, 

driver’s licenses from the following 

States or territory will not be accepted 

for building entry, and instead, one of 

the alternate forms of ID listed below 

will be required. 

DHS has determined that regular 

driver’s licenses (and ID cards) from the 

following jurisdictions are not 

acceptable for entry into DOE facilities: 

Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, 

Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, 

Minnesota, New York, Oklahoma, and 

Washington. 

Acceptable alternate forms of PhotoID include: U.S. Passport or Passport 

Card; an Enhanced Driver’s License or 

Enhanced ID-Card issued by the States 

of Minnesota, New York or Washington 

(Enhanced licenses issued by these 

States are clearly marked Enhanced or 

Enhanced Driver’s License); a military 

ID or other Federal government-issued 

Photo-ID card. 

In addition, you can attend the public 

meeting via webinar. Webinar 

registration information, participant 

instructions, and information about the 

capabilities available to webinar 

participants at: https://

attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/

7036563622426238210 Participants are 

responsible for ensuring their systems 

are compatible with the webinar 

software. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on May 12, 

2015. 

Kathleen B. Hogan, 

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy 

Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2015–12221 Filed 5–19–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket Number EERE–2014–BT–STD– 

0031] 

RIN 1904–AD20 

Energy Conservation Program for 

Consumer Products: Energy 

Conservation Standards for 

Residential Furnaces 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Extension of public comment 

period. 

SUMMARY: On March 12, 2015, the U.S. 

Department of Energy (DOE) published 

in the Federal Register a notice of 

proposed rulemaking (NOPR) and 

technical support document (TSD) that 

analyze the potential economic impacts 

and energy savings that could result 

from potential energy conservation 

standards for certain residential 

furnaces. DOE published this NOPR and 

analysis so stakeholders can review and 

provide input on the relevant outputs 

and the underlying assumptions and 

calculations. The comment period for 

the NOPR pertaining to the subject 

residential furnaces was scheduled to 

end June 10, 2015. After receiving 

requests for additional time to comment, 

DOE has decided to extend the 

comment period for the NOPR 

pertaining to the energy conservation 

standards for residential furnaces until 

July 10, 2015. 

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