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Public Workshops and 

Hearings

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) seeks 

to provide opportunities for public input early 

in the rulemaking process. Interested parties 

are invited to comment on the selection of 

design options and to assist DOE in identifying 

analysis, data, and modeling needs for 

equipment standards and test procedures. 

Following is a list of upcoming and past 

workshops and hearings. 

Upcoming Workshops and Hearings

Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts Public 

Meeting for Standby Mode and Off Mode 

Test Procedure NOPR, February 2, 2009 

Past Workshops and Hearings

Metal Halide Lamp Ballast Efficiency Test 

Procedure NOPR, December 19, 2008

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air 

Conditioners Test Procedures, December 

17, 2008

Microwave Ovens Test Procedure NOPR,

November 14, 2008

Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, Electric and 

Gas Kitchen Ranges and Ovens, 

Microwave Ovens, and Commercial 

Clothes Washers Energy Conservation 

Standards NOPR, November 13, 2008

Commercial Refrigeration Equipment 

NOPR, September 23, 2008

Battery Chargers and External Power 

Supplies Test Procedures NOPR,

September 12, 2008

Beverage Vending Machines ANOPR,

June 26, 2008

Central Air Conditioners and Heat 

Pumps Framework Document, June 12, 

2008

Fluorescent and Incandescent Lamps 

Test Procedure NOPR and Energy 

Conservation Standard ANOPR, March 

10-11, 2008

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Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts Framework 

Document, February 6, 2008

Residential Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, 

and Cooking Products, and Commercial 

Clothes Washers ANOPR, December 13, 

2007

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air 

Conditioners Framework Document,

October 24, 2007

Commercial Refrigeration Equipment 

ANOPR, August 23, 2007 

Developing Energy Conservation 

Standards for Battery Chargers and 

External Power Supplies, January 24, 

2007

Residential Water Heaters, Direct 

Heating Equipment, and Pool Heaters,

January 16, 2007

Distribution Transformers NOPR,

September 27, 2006

Consumer Products and Certain 

Commercial and Industrial Equipment 

Test Procedures, September 26, 2006

Residential Central Air Conditioners and 

Heat Pumps Test Procedures, August 

23, 2006

Refrigerated Beverage Vending 

Machines Framework Document, July 

11, 2006

Amending the Energy Efficiency 

Standards for General Service 

Fluorescent Lamps, Incandescent 

Reflector Lamps, and General Service 

Incandescent Lamps, June 15, 2006

Commercial Refrigeration Equipment,

May 16, 2006

Residential Electric and Gas Ranges and 

Ovens and Microwave Ovens, 

Dishwashers, Dehumidifiers, and 

Commercial Clothes Washers, April 27, 

2006

Commercial Unitary Air Conditioners and 

Heat Pumps ANOPR, September 30, 

2004

Residential Furnaces and Boilers ANOPR,

September 29, 2004

Distribution Transformers ANOPR,

September 28, 2004

Distribution Transformers Test 

Procedure SNOPR, September 27, 2004

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Residential Furnaces and Boilers ANOPR 

Internet Webcast, August 17, 2004 

Commercial Unitary Air Conditioners and 

Heat Pumps ANOPR Internet Webcast,

August 12, 2004

Distribution Transformers ANOPR 

Internet Webcast, August 10, 2004

Residential Central Air Conditioners and 

Heat Pumps Niche Product Energy 

Efficiency Standards Test Procedure,

December 13, 2002

Dishwasher Test Procedure NOPR,

October 22, 2002

Residential Furnace and Boiler Venting,

May 8, 2002

Exploring Potential New Products to be 

Included in the Existing Appliance 

Standards Program and/or Voluntary 

Program, November 6, 2001

Central Air Conditioners and Heat 

Pumps Energy Efficiency Standards,

October 2, 2001

Commercial Unitary Air Conditioners and 

Heat Pumps Energy Efficiency Standards 

Considerations, September 12, 2001

Residential Furnaces and Boilers Energy 

Efficiency Rulemaking Process, July 17, 

2001

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Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act 

(EPCA) of 1975, Pub. L. 94-163, (42 U.S.C. 

6291-6309) established an energy 

conservation program for major household 

appliances. Additional amendments to EPCA 

have given DOE the authority to regulate the 

energy efficiency of many products, including 

certain fluorescent lamp ballasts. Amendments 

to EPCA in the National Appliance Energy 

Conservation Amendments of 1988, P.L. 

100-357, established energy conservation 

standards for certain fluorescent lamp ballasts. 

(42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(5)) These same 

amendments also directed DOE to 1) conduct 

two rulemaking cycles to determine whether 

to amend these standards and 2) for each 

rulemaking cycle, determine whether the 

standards in effect for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts should be amended so that they 

would be applicable to additional fluorescent 

lamp ballasts. (42 U.S.C. 6295(g)(7)(A)-(B))

On September 19, 2000, DOE published a final 

rule which completed the first of the two 

rulemaking cycles to evaluate and amend the 

energy conservation standards for fluorescent 

lamp ballasts. 65 FR 56740. Supplementary 

energy conservation standards for fluorescent 

lamp ballasts that operate certain additional 

types of fluorescent lamps (i.e., 'energy saver' 

versions of full-wattage ballasts, such as the 

F34T12 ballast) were established under 

Section 135(c)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 

2005 (EPACT 2005), Pub. L. 109-58. (42 

U.S.C. 6295(g)(8)(A))

On December 19, 2007, the President signed 

the Energy Independence and Security Act of 

2007 (EISA 2007) (Pub. L. 110-140) which 

makes numerous amendments to EPCA and 

directs DOE to undertake several new 

rulemakings for appliance energy efficiency 

standards. EISA 2007 did not amend 

standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts, but 

instead directs DOE to consider standby mode 

and off mode energy use for these ballasts. 

More specifically, DOE is directed to amend its 

test procedure for fluorescent lamp ballasts to 

incorporate a measure of standby mode and 

off mode energy consumption by March 31, 

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2009. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(B)(ii)) In 

addition, pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6295(o), DOE 

is directed to incorporate standby mode and 

off mode energy use in any amended (or new) 

standard adopted after July 1, 2010.

DOE has initiated the second rulemaking to 

review and amend the energy conservation 

standards in effect for fluorescent lamp 

ballasts under section 325(g)(7)(B) of EPCA.

DOE has also initiated a rulemaking to amend 

its test procedure for fluorescent lamp ballasts 

to incorporate a measure of standby mode and 

off mode energy use. On this page you will 

find information on these rulemakings, other 

documentation, and materials associated with 

the prior rulemaking.

Some of the following documents are available 

as Adobe Acrobat PDFs. Download Adobe 

Reader.

Test Procedures

Standby Mode and Off Mode Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking

Energy Conservation Standards

Framework Document Public Meeting

2000 Energy Conservation Standards 

Rulemaking

Legislative Language and 

Standards

United States Code, incorporating 

language from the National Appliance 

Energy Conservation Amendments of 

1988 and the Energy Policy Act of 2005 

(PDF 134 KB)

Code of Federal Regulations, Section 

430.32(m), including standards for 

Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts as of January 

1, 2008 (PDF 111 KB)

Test Procedures for Fluorescent Lamp 

Ballasts, Code of Federal Regulations, 

Appendix Q to Subpart B of Part 430 - 

Uniform Test Method for Measuring the 

Energy Consumption of Fluorescent 

Lamp Ballasts (as of January 1, 2008) 

(PDF 115 KB)

Energy Independence and Security Act 

of 2007 (PDF 88 KB)

Contact Information

Linda Graves

Project Manager

(202) 586-1851

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Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts 

Standby Mode and Off Mode 

Test Procedure NOPR 

The Energy Policy and Conservation Act 

(EPCA) authorizes the Department of Energy 

(DOE) to establish energy conservation 

standards for various consumer products and 

commercial and industrial equipment. EPCA 

established the "Energy Conservation Program 

for Consumer Products Other Than 

Automobiles." The consumer and commercial 

products currently subject to this program 

include fluorescent lamp ballasts.

DOE has determined that energy conservation 

standards would be technologically feasible 

and economically justified and would result in 

significant energy savings. Manufacturers of 

covered products are required to use the 

relevant DOE test procedures to certify 

compliance with the energy conservation 

standards adopted under EPCA.

Here you will find information on the Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking (NOPR) public meeting 

and DOE's proposed test procedure for 

fluorescent lamp ballasts, which incorporates a 

measure of power consumption in standby 

mode and off mode as required by the Energy 

Independence and Security Act of 2007. 

NOPR Public Meeting

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and 

Notice of Public Meeting, January 8,

2009 as issued by the Secretary of 

Energy, NOTE: the official version of the 

NOPR will be published in the Federal 

Register shortly (PDF 188 KB) Download

Adobe Reader.

Contact Information

Linda Graves

Project Manager

(202) 586-1851

Printable Version

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