DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket Number: EERE-2007- BT-STIHl010[ 

RIN: 1904-AA89 

Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Residential 

Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners 

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

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI): Energy Conservation Program 

SUMMARY: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended, requires 

the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to consider amended energy conservation 

standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners. (42 U.S.C. 6291 et 

seq.) Based on an Environmental Assessment (EA), chapter 15 of the direct final rule 

technical support document (TSD) for residential clothes dryers and room air 

conditioners, DOE has detennined that the adoption of energy conservation standards for 

residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners, as contained in the direct final rule 

entitled the "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for 

Residential Clothes Dryers and Room Air Conditioners," 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 FONS!. 

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

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

Program, 950 L'Enfant Plaza, S.W., 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 direct final rule TSD from the Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy's website at: wwwl.cere.energy.gov/buildingslappliancc standards!. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen LWitkowski, U.S. 

Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Building Technologies 

Program, EE-21, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585-0121. 

Telephone: (202) 586-7463. E-mail: Stephen.Witkowski@ee.doe.gov. 

Ms. Elizabeth Kohl, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the General Counsel, 

GC-71, 1000 Independence A venue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585-0121. Telephone: 

(202) 586-7796. E-mail: EIizabeth.KohI@hg.doe.gov. 

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

Borgstrom, Director, Office ofNEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department 

of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 20585, (202) 586-4600, 

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

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

through the DOE NEPA website at: http://energy.gov/nepaldoe-nepa-documents. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Description of the Action: The action is the establishment of amended energy 

conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners. DOE is 

adopting trial standard level (TSL) 4. 

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

of energy conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners. 

The results are presented for each TSL DOE considered for residential clothes dryers and 

room air conditioners. Each TSL is an alternative action and the environmental impacts 

of each alternative are compared to what would be expected to happen if no amended 

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 product 

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

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

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

environmental impact analysis considers emissions of carbon dioxide (C02) and three 

criteria pollutants-nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (So,), and mercury (Hg). The 

energy savings from amended energy conservation standards for residential clothes 

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dryers and room air conditioners are expected to result in reduced power sector emissions 

of C02. NOx, and Hg. Reduced NOx emissions could also provide an economic benefit in 

the fonn of emission allowance credits. The results of this analysis show that the 

cumulative emissions reductions resulting from the residential clothes dryers and room 

air conditioners direct final rule are projected to be 36.1 million metric tons (Mt) of CO2• 

29.3 kilotons (kt) ofNOx• and 0.073 tons ofHg. 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 residential clothes dryers and room air 

conditioners TSD Table 15.7.1 for more infonnation on the emissions reductions at all 

TSLs. 

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Determination 

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

conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners would not 

constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 

environment, within the meaning ofNEPA. Therefore, an EIS is not required, and DOE 

is issuing this FONSI. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on 

August 18,2011. 

Tlmothyr;ruh 

Program Manager 

• • 

Federal Energy Management Program 

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

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