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DOE/EA-1748 

Finding of No Significant Impact for 

10 CFR 431: Energy Conservation Standards for 

Small Electric Motors 

March 2010 
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[6450-01-P] 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 431 

[Docket Number: EERE-2007-STD-0007] 

RIN 1904-AB70 

Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Small Electric 

Motors 

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

 

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact: Energy Conservation Program 

SUMMARY: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 6291 et 

seq. (EPCA), directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to adopt energy conservation 

standards for those small electric motors for which standards would be technologically 

feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings (42 

U.S.C. 6317(b)(1)-(2)).1

 Based on an Environmental Assessment (EA), chapter 15 of the 

final rule technical support document (TSD) for small electric motors (SEMs), DOE has 

determined that the adoption of energy conservation standards for SEMs, as set forth in 

 

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 The small electric motors, covered in this Finding of No Significant Impact, are essentially general 

purpose, alternating current, single-speed, induction motors built in a National Electrical Manufacturers 

Association (NEMA) 42, 48, or 56 frame series, and range from 1/4 to three horsepower. These motors 

operate at 60 Hertz and have either single-phase or a three-phase (polyphase) electrical design. These 

motors are used as components that drive a wide variety of other commercial and industrial equipment, 

with the largest being pumping equipment, fans and blowers, compressors, conveyors, material handling 

machines, and other general industrial or miscellaneous applications. 
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the final rule entitled the “Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards 

for Small Electric Motors,” would not be a major Federal action significantly affecting 

the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, an environmental impact statement (EIS) is not 

required, and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

ADDRESSES: Public Availability: Copies of the final rule TSD are available from the 

U.S. Department of Energy, Resource Room of the Building Technologies Program, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20024, (202) 586-2945, between 9 a.m. 

and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may also obtain copies 

of the final rule TSD from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s 

website at: www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Raba, Project Manager, 

Energy Conservation Standards for Small Electric Motors, U.S. Department of Energy, 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies Program, 950 

L’Enfant Plaza, SW., 6th Floor, Washington, DC 20024, Phone: (202) 586-8654. E-mail: 

Jim.Raba@ee.doe.gov; Michael Kido, Esq., U.S. Department of Energy, Office of 

General Counsel, GC-71, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585. 

Phone: (202) 586-9507. E-mail: Michael.Kido@hq.doe.gov. 

For further information regarding the DOE NEPA process contact: Carol M. 

Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-20), U.S. Department 
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of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600, or 

leave a message at (800) 472-2756. Additional information regarding DOE NEPA 

activities and access to many DOE NEPA documents are available on the Internet 

through the DOE NEPA website at: http://www.gc.energy.gov/nepa/. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description of the Proposed Action: The proposed action is the establishment of 

new energy conservation standards for small electric motors (SEM). DOE is adopting 

trial standard level (TSL) 4b for polyphase small electric motors, and TSL 7 for 

capacitor-start small electric motors. 

 Environmental Impacts: The EA evaluates the environmental impacts of a range 

of energy conservation standards for SEMs. The results are presented for each TSL that 

DOE considered for SEMs. Each TSL is an alternative action and the environmental 

impact of each alternative is compared to what would be expected to happen if no new 

standard were adopted, i.e., the “no action” alternative. 

The primary environmental impact is decreased emissions from fossil fuel use and 

from fossil-fueled electricity generation. All of the TSLs considered for the small electric 

motors covered under this regulation would result in decreased fossil fuel use and in a 

reduction in emissions. The energy conservation standards adopted in the final rule would 

generally decrease air pollution by decreasing future energy demand. The environmental 

assessment (EA) addresses emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and three criteria 
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pollutants—nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and mercury (Hg). The energy 

savings from new energy conservation standards for SEMs are expected to result in 

reduced power sector emissions of CO2, NOX, and Hg. Reduced NOX emissions could 

also provide an economic benefit in the form of emission allowance credits. The results 

of this analysis show that the cumulative emissions reductions resulting from the SEM 

final rule are projected to be 112 million metric tons of CO2, 81 kilotons of NOX, and 

0.49 ton of Hg. These emissions reductions and those from the other TSLs are not 

substantial enough to significantly affect the quality of the human environment. See 

chapter 15 of the SEM TSD Table 15.2.1, Table 15.2.2, Table 15.2.3, Table 15.2.4, Table 

15.2.5, Table 15.7.1, and Table 15.7.2 for more information on the emissions reductions 

at all TSLs. 
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Determination 

Based upon the EA, DOE has determined that the adoption of the energy 

conservation standards for SEMs would not constitute a major Federal action 

significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of 

NEPA. Therefore, an EIS is not required, and DOE is issuing this FONSI. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on February 22, 2010. 

 __________________________________ 

 Cathy Zoi 

 Assistant Secretary 

 Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy