34640 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 30, 2021 / Proposed Rules 

1All references to EPCA in this document refer 

to the statute as amended through jthe Energy Act 

of 2020, Public Law 116–260 (Dec. 27, 2020). 

published (e.g., a notice of proposed 

rulemaking), providing interested 

parties additional opportunity to submit 

comments. As such, DOE has 

determined that a 15-day extension is 

sufficient for this preliminary stage. 

Therefore, DOE is extending the 

comment period to July 21, 2021. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on June 25, 2021, by 

Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal 

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting 

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy, 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 June 25, 

2021. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13986 Filed 6–29–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

10 CFR Part 430 

[EERE–2019–BT–TP–0026] 

Energy Conservation Program: Test 

Procedures for Consumer Products; 

Early Assessment Review: 

Dehumidifiers 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy. 

ACTION: Request for information. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (‘‘DOE’’) is undertaking an early 

assessment review to determine whether 

to proceed with a rulemaking to amend 

the test procedure for dehumidifiers. 

Through this request for information 

(‘‘RFI’’), DOE seeks data and 

information regarding issues pertinent 

to whether an amended test procedure 

would more accurately or fully comply 

with the requirement that the test 

procedure produces results that measure 

energy use during a representative 

average use cycle for the product 

without being unduly burdensome to 

conduct. DOE welcomes written 

comments from the public on any 

subject within the scope of this 

document (including topics not raised 

in this RFI), as well as the submission 

of data and other relevant information. 

DATES: Written comments and 

information are requested and will be 

accepted on or before July 30, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: 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, identified by docket 

number EERE–2019–BT–TP–0026, by 

any of the following methods: 

1. Federal eRulemaking Portal: 

www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

instructions for submitting comments. 

2. Email: to 

Dehumidifier2019TP0026@ee.doe.gov. 

Include docket number EERE–2019–BT– 

TP–0026 in the subject line of the 

message. 

No telefacsimilies (‘‘faxes’’) will be 

accepted. For detailed instructions on 

submitting comments and additional 

information on this process, see section 

III of this document. 

Although DOE has routinely accepted 

public comment submissions through a 

variety of mechanisms, including the 

Federal eRulemaking Portal, email, 

postal mail, or hand delivery/courier, 

the Department has found it necessary 

to make temporary modifications to the 

comment submission process in light of 

the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. DOE is 

currently suspending receipt of public 

comments via postal mail and hand 

delivery/courier. If a commenter finds 

that this change poses an undue 

hardship, please contact Appliance 

Standards Program staff at (202) 586– 

1445 to discuss the need for alternative 

arrangements. Once the Covid-19 

pandemic health emergency is resolved, 

DOE anticipates resuming all of its 

regular options for public comment 

submission, including postal mail and 

hand delivery/courier. 

Docket: The docket for this activity, 

which includes Federal Register 

notices, 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, 

some documents listed in the index, 

such as those containing information 

that is exempt from public disclosure, 

may not be publicly available. 

The docket web page can be found at 

www.regulations.gov/docket?D=EERE2019–BT–TP–0026. The docket web 

page contains instructions on how to 

access all documents, including public 

comments, in the docket. See section III 

for information on how to submit 

comments through 

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Bryan Berringer, 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– 

0371. Email: 

ApplianceStandardsQuestions@

ee.doe.gov. 

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) 586–9496. Email: 

Peter.Cochran@hq.doe.gov. 

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: 

ApplianceStandardsQuestions@

ee.doe.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Table of Contents 

I. Introduction 

A. Authority and Background 

B. Rulemaking History 

II. Request for Information 

A. Scope and Definitions 

B. Test Procedure 

1. Updates to Industry Standards 

2. Variable-Speed Dehumidifiers 

3. Psychrometer Setup 

4. Smart Technology 

5. Ventilation Air 

C. Other Test Procedure Topics 

III. Submission of Comments 

I. Introduction 

DOE established an early assessment 

review process to conduct a more 

focused analysis that would allow DOE 

to determine, based on statutory criteria, 

whether an amended test procedure is 

warranted. The purpose of this review is 

to limit the resources, from both DOE 

and stakeholders, committed to 

rulemakings that will not satisfy the 

requirements in the Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act, as amended 

(‘‘EPCA’’),1 that an amended test 

procedure more accurately or fully 

comply with the requirement that the 

test procedure produces results that 

measure energy use during a 

representative average use cycle or 


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2For editorial reasons, upon codification in the 

U.S. Code, Part B was redesignated Part A. 

period of use for the product, and not 

be unduly burdensome to conduct. See 

85 FR 8626, 8653–8654 (Feb. 14, 2020). 

As part of the early assessment, DOE 

publishes an RFI in the Federal 

Register, announcing that DOE is 

initiating a rulemaking proceeding and 

soliciting comments, data, and 

information on whether an amended 

test procedure would more accurately 

measure energy use during a 

representative average use cycle or 

reduce testing burden. Based on the 

information received in response to the 

RFI and DOE’s own analysis, DOE will 

determine whether to proceed with a 

rulemaking for an amended test 

procedure. 

If DOE makes an initial determination 

based upon available evidence that an 

amended test procedure would not meet 

the applicable statutory criteria, DOE 

would engage in notice and comment 

rulemaking before issuing a final 

determination that an amended test 

procedure is not warranted. 

Conversely, if DOE makes an initial 

determination that an amended test 

procedure would satisfy the applicable 

statutory criteria, DOE would undertake 

the preliminary stages of a rulemaking 

to issue an amended test procedure. 

Beginning such a rulemaking, however, 

would not preclude DOE from later 

making a determination that an 

amended test procedure would not 

satisfy the requirements in EPCA, based 

upon the full suite of DOE’s analyses. 

Id. at 85 FR 8654. 

A. Authority and Background 

EPCA, among other things, authorizes 

DOE to regulate the energy efficiency of 

a number of consumer products and 

certain industrial equipment. (42 U.S.C. 

6291–6317) Title III, Part B2 of EPCA 

established the Energy Conservation 

Program for Consumer Products Other 

Than Automobiles, which sets forth a 

variety of provisions designed to 

improve energy efficiency. These 

products include dehumidifiers, the 

subject of this RFI. (42 U.S.C. 

6293(b)(13); 42 U.S.C. 6295 (cc)) 

The energy conservation program 

under EPCA consists essentially of four 

parts: (1) Testing, (2) labeling, (3) 

Federal energy conservation standards, 

and (4) certification and enforcement 

procedures. Relevant provisions of 

EPCA specifically include definitions 

(42 U.S.C. 6291), test procedures (42 

U.S.C. 6293), energy conservation 

standards (42 U.S.C. 6295), labeling 

provisions (42 U.S.C. 6294), and the 

authority to require information and 

reports from manufacturers (42 U.S.C. 

6296). 

Federal energy efficiency 

requirements for covered products 

established under EPCA generally 

supersede State laws and regulations 

concerning energy conservation testing, 

labeling, and standards. (42 U.S.C. 6297) 

DOE may, however, grant waivers of 

Federal preemption for particular State 

laws or regulations, in accordance with 

the procedures and other provisions of 

EPCA. (42 U.S.C. 6297(d)) 

The Federal testing requirements 

consist of test procedures that 

manufacturers of covered products must 

use as the basis for: (1) Certifying to 

DOE that their products comply with 

the applicable energy conservation 

standards adopted pursuant to EPCA (42 

U.S.C. 6295(s)), and (2) making 

representations about the efficiency of 

those consumer products (42 U.S.C. 

6293(c)). Similarly, DOE must use these 

test procedures to determine whether 

the products comply with relevant 

standards promulgated under EPCA. (42 

U.S.C. 6295(s)) 

EPCA requires that the test procedure 

for dehumidifiers be based on the test 

criteria used under the ENERGY STAR 

Program Requirements for 

Dehumidifiers developed by the U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, as in 

effect on August 8, 2005, unless revised 

by DOE pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 6293. (42 

U.S.C. 6293(b)(13)) Under 42 U.S.C. 

6293, EPCA sets forth the criteria and 

procedures DOE must follow when 

prescribing or amending test procedures 

for covered products. EPCA requires 

that any test procedures prescribed or 

amended under this section be 

reasonably designed to produce test 

results which measure energy 

efficiency, energy use or estimated 

annual operating cost of a covered 

product during a representative average 

use cycle or period of use and not be 

unduly burdensome to conduct. (42 

U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) 

EPCA also requires that, at least once 

every 7 years, DOE review test 

procedures for all covered products, 

including dehumidifiers, to determine 

whether amended test procedures 

would more accurately or fully comply 

with the requirements for the test 

procedures to be reasonably designed to 

produce test results that reflect energy 

efficiency, energy use, and estimated 

operating costs during a representative 

average use cycle or period of use and 

not be unduly burdensome to conduct 

(42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(1)(A)) DOE is 

publishing this RFI to collect data and 

information to inform its decision in 

satisfaction of this 7-year review 

requirement. 

B. Rulemaking History 

DOE last amended the test procedure 

for dehumidifiers on July 31, 2015 

(‘‘July 2015 Final Rule’’), to provide 

technical clarifications and improve 

repeatability of the test procedure. 80 

FR 45802. The July 2015 Final Rule also 

established a new test procedure for 

dehumidifiers at appendix X1 that, 

among other things, established separate 

provisions for testing whole-home 

dehumidifiers. Id. DOE’s test procedures 

for dehumidifiers are prescribed at Title 

10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 

(‘‘CFR’’) part 430, subpart B, appendix 

X1 (‘‘appendix X1’’). Manufacturers 

were not required to use appendix X1 

until the compliance date of a 

subsequent amendment to the energy 

conservation standards for 

dehumidifiers. On June 13, 2016, DOE 

published a final rule establishing 

amended energy conservation standards 

for dehumidifiers, for which compliance 

was required beginning June 13, 2019. 

81 FR 38338. 

II. Request for Information 

DOE is publishing this RFI to collect 

data and information during the early 

assessment review to inform its 

decision, consistent with its obligations 

under EPCA, as to whether the 

Department should proceed with an 

amended test procedure rulemaking. 

Accordingly, in the following sections, 

DOE has identified a variety of issues on 

which it seeks input to determine 

whether, and if so how, amended test 

procedures for dehumidifiers would 

more accurately or fully comply with 

the requirements in EPCA that test 

procedures be reasonably designed to 

produce test results which reflect energy 

use during a representative average use 

cycle or period of use, without being 

unduly burdensome to conduct (42 

U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)). 

A. Scope and Definitions 

EPCA defines a dehumidifier as a selfcontained, electrically operated, and 

mechanically encased assembly 

consisting of—(1) a refrigerated surface 

(evaporator) that condenses moisture 

from the atmosphere; (2) a refrigerating 

system, including an electric motor; (3) 

an air-circulating fan; and (4) a means 

for collecting or disposing of the 

condensate. (42 U.S.C. 6291(34)) In 

codifying a regulatory definition of 

‘‘dehumidifier,’’ DOE interpreted the 

statutory definition as excluding 

portable air conditioners, room air 

conditioners, and packaged terminal air 

conditioners. 10 CFR 430.2. Products 

meeting this definition are subject to 

DOE’s regulations for testing, certifying, 


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and complying with energy 

conservation standards. 

In the July 2015 Final Rule, DOE 

established definitions for two 

dehumidifier configurations: ‘‘portable 

dehumidifiers’’ and ‘‘whole-home 

dehumidifiers.’’ 80 FR 45802, 45805. A 

‘‘portable dehumidifier’’ is a 

dehumidifier designed to operate within 

the dehumidified space without ducting 

(although means may be provided for 

optional duct attachment). 10 CFR 

430.2. A ‘‘whole-home dehumidifier’’ is 

a dehumidifier designed to be installed 

with ducting to deliver return process 

air to its inlet and dehumidified process 

air to one or more locations in the 

dehumidified space. Id. 

Issue 1: DOE seeks comment on 

whether the current definitions of 

‘‘dehumidifier,’’ ‘‘portable 

dehumidifier,’’ and ‘‘whole-home 

dehumidifier’’ require amendment, and 

if so, how the terms should be defined. 

Issue 2: DOE requests comment on 

whether the existing equipment 

definitions specified in 10 CFR 430.2 for 

dehumidifiers require amendments to 

distinguish further between portable 

and whole-home units. If they do, DOE 

seeks information on what identifying 

characteristics may be included in 

potential amended definitions to 

differentiate better between the two 

configurations. 

B. Test Procedure 

Dehumidifiers are tested in 

accordance with appendix X1, which 

incorporates American National 

Standard Institute (‘‘ANSI’’)/Association 

of Home Appliance Manufacturers 

(‘‘AHAM’’) Standard DH–1–2008, 

‘‘Dehumidifiers,’’ (‘‘ANSI/AHAM DH1–2008’’), with modification. In part, the 

DOE test procedure specifies a different 

dry- bulb temperature (65 degrees 

Fahrenheit (‘‘°F’’) for portable 

dehumidifiers and 73 °F for whole-home 

dehumidifiers) than ANSI/AHAM DH– 

1–2008, while still maintaining the 

relative humidity specified by ANSI/ 

AHAM DH–1–2008. See Section 4.1.1 of 

appendix. 

X1. Appendix X1 also includes 

instructions regarding instrumentation, 

condensate collection, control settings, 

setup, and ducting for whole-home 

dehumidifiers. See Sections 3.1.2.2; 

3.1.1.4; 3.1.1.5; 3.1.1.1; and 3.1.3 of 

appendix X1. 

Under the current test procedure, 

there is a single method to measure a 

dehumidifier’s product capacity. A 

unit’s capacity is the volume of water, 

in pints, the unit removes from the 

ambient air per day, normalized to a 

standard ambient temperature and 

relative humidity. See Section 2.14 of 

appendix X1. The Integrated Energy 

Factor (‘‘IEF’’), representing the 

efficiency of the unit expressed in liters 

per kilowatt-hour, is the ratio between 

the capacity and the combined amount 

of energy consumed by the unit in 

dehumidification mode and standby 

and/or off mode(s), adjusted for the 

representative number of hours per year 

spent in each mode. See Section 5.4 of 

appendix X1. 

1. Updates to Industry Standards 

As discussed, the dehumidifier test 

procedure at appendix X1 references 

ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2008, an industry 

test procedure for dehumidifiers, with 

modification. In 2017, AHAM published 

a revision to ANSI/AHAM DH–1 

(‘‘ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2017’’). ANSI/ 

AHAM DH–1–2017 includes provisions 

for testing dehumidifier energy use in 

off-cycle, inactive, and off modes, and 

for including energy consumption in 

those modes in efficiency calculations. 

ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2017 also made 

other changes. First, it lowered the 

standard dry-bulb temperature 

condition for dehumidifiers from 80 °F 

(as in ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2008) to 65 °F 

(with the required wet-bulb temperature 

changing accordingly to maintain the 

same relative humidity). 

Second, it tightened the maximum 

allowed variation for dry-bulb and wetbulb temperature readings from 2.0 °F to 

1.0 °F and from 1.0 °F to 0.5 °F, 

respectively. Third, it added guidance 

for instrumentation setup, multiple airintakes and control settings. 

Issue 3: DOE seeks comment on 

whether the references to ANSI/AHAM 

DH–1–2008 at appendix X1 should be 

updated to the most current version, 

ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2017. 

Issue 4: DOE requests comment and 

information on whether, and if so, how 

updating the references in appendix X1 

to ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2017 would 

impact the measured energy efficiency 

of dehumidifiers tested under the 

current DOE test procedure. 

Issue 5: DOE requests comment on the 

impact on test burden were DOE to 

reference ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2017. 

Issue 6: DOE specifically requests 

feedback on the reduction of the 

maximum-allowed temperature 

variation in ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2017, 

the potential test burden increase from 

this change, and any effects on 

reliability or reproducibility of results. 

Issue 7: DOE requests information on 

whether any modifications to ANSI/ 

AHAM DH–1–2017, other than 

modifications consistent with those 

made to ANSI/AHAM DH–1–2008 in 

the current DOE test procedure, would 

be needed to ensure that DOE’s test 

procedure produces results that are 

representative of an average use cycle 

and is not unduly burdensome to 

conduct. 

2. Variable-Speed Dehumidifiers 

DOE is aware that dehumidifiers are 

available on the United States market 

that incorporate variable-speed 

compressors; i.e., ‘‘variable-speed 

dehumidifiers.’’ Variable-speed 

dehumidifiers can avoid compressor 

cycling efficiency losses by modulating 

the compressor speed to match the 

amount of dehumidification required for 

a room. These units also avoid 

condensate re-evaporation into the 

ambient room air, which can occur 

when a dehumidifier cycles off its 

compressor but not its fan during offcycle mode. The current test procedure 

in appendix X1 does not capture these 

‘‘cycling losses’’ for single-speed 

dehumidifiers (and avoidance of such 

losses for variable-speed dehumidifiers) 

because the test unit operates at full 

capacity throughout the test. 

In the July 2015 Final Rule, DOE 

considered a load-based test which 

would capture cycling behavior in 

dehumidifiers with single-speed 

compressors or speed modulation for 

variable-speed dehumidifiers. The loadbased test would involve adding 

moisture to the test chamber at a fixed 

rate and allowing the control system of 

the dehumidifier to respond to changing 

moisture levels in the room. 80 FR 

45802, 45809. DOE elected not to adopt 

a load-based test for the dehumidifier 

test procedure in the July 2015 Final 

Rule, due to concerns about the 

potential increase in test burden. Id. at 

80 FR 45810. 

Issue 8: DOE seeks data on singlespeed dehumidifiers: (1) Their energy 

use when cycling on and off due to 

varying relative humidity in the room, 

(2) the extent of re-evaporation when 

operating in off-cycle mode, and (3) the 

effect of re-evaporation on 

dehumidification mode efficiency. 

Issue 9: DOE seeks feedback and data 

regarding any alternative test methods 

that may produce results that are more 

representative of variable-speed 

dehumidifier energy consumption, 

including, but not limited to, a loadbased test approach. 

Issue 10: DOE is also interested in 

information about the nature and extent 

of the test burden associated with a 

load-based test for dehumidifiers. 

3. Psychrometer Setup 

Appendix X1, with reference to 

Section 4 ‘‘Instrumentation’’ of ANSI/ 

AHAM DH–1–2008, requires 

dehumidifiers with a single air intake to 


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3 In an aspirating-type psychrometer, a wet-bulb 

and a dry-bulb thermometer are mounted inside a 

case that also contains a fan. The fan draws air 

across both thermometers, and the resulting wetbulb and dry-bulb temperatures are used to 

determine the percent relative humidity. 

be monitored with an aspirating-type 

psychrometer 3 perpendicular to, and 

one foot in front of, the unit; and, in the 

case of multiple air intakes, to be 

monitored with a separate sampling 

tree. See Sections 3.1.1, 3.1.1.2, 3.1.1.3 

of appendix X1. In the July 2015 Final 

Rule, DOE considered whether certain 

psychrometer configuration issues, such 

as variable levels of residual heat from 

the psychrometer fan and variable air 

velocity influencing the accuracy of 

temperature sensors, were detrimental 

to test repeatability. 80 FR 45812– 

45813. As discussed in the July 2015 

Final Rule, DOE was unable to 

determine whether any repeatability 

improvements are associated with 

adjusting the fan location in relation to 

the dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperature 

sensors, or with tightening the air 

velocity requirements through the 

psychrometer. DOE also did not have 

sufficient data to quantify the burdens 

associated with such requirements. Id. 

at 80 FR 45813. 

Additionally, since publication of the 

July 2015 Final Rule, DOE has received 

feedback from a testing laboratory that 

use of a sampling tree ducted to an 

aspirating psychrometer is a common 

configuration for testing of other 

refrigerant-based products, and that 

placing the psychrometer itself in front 

of the test unit may impede the 

instrument’s ability to effectively 

monitor the inlet air conditions. In the 

July 2015 Final Rule, DOE considered a 

proposal to require sampling trees for 

testing all dehumidifiers, regardless of 

the number of air intakes, for 

consistency and repeatability. However, 

based on available data, DOE was 

unable to conclude at that time that the 

use of a sampling tree would be more 

reliable than the psychrometer-only 

approach. Id. at 80 FR 45812–45813. 

Issue 11: DOE seeks data on the effect 

of residual heat from the psychrometer 

fan and the effects of psychrometer air 

velocity on temperature measurement 

repeatability when using a 

psychrometer, rather than a humidity 

sensor, under the current (appendix X1) 

test procedure. 

DOE seeks information and data on 

measures that can be employed to 

minimize any such effects when using 

a psychrometer, as well as information 

regarding the repeatability of 

measurements when such measures are 

used. 

Issue 12: DOE requests comment on 

any potential test burden increases 

associated with additional requirements 

regarding psychrometer fan placement 

and orientation relative to the 

temperature sensors, and any burden 

associated with reducing the acceptable 

psychrometer air velocity range. 

Issue 13: DOE requests comment on 

whether it would be appropriate to 

require, or to allow, sampling trees to be 

used with aspirating psychrometers 

regardless of the number of air intakes 

for a given model, including any data 

confirming repeatability and especially 

repeatability relative to using an 

aspirating psychrometer without a 

sampling tree. 

4. Smart Technology 

DOE notes that many types of 

household products (e.g. refrigerators, 

dryers, room air conditioners) are now 

equipped with ‘‘connected’’ 

functionality, such as mobile alerts/ 

messages, remote control, and energy 

information and demand response 

capabilities to support future smart grid 

interconnection. DOE is aware that 

certain manufacturers have incorporated 

some of these features, such as WiFi 

capability, into dehumidifiers. On 

September 17, 2018, DOE published an 

RFI on the emerging smart technology 

appliance and equipment market. 83 FR 

46886. In that RFI, DOE sought 

information to better understand market 

trends and issues in the emerging 

market for appliances and commercial 

equipment that incorporate smart 

technology. DOE’s intent in issuing the 

RFI was to ensure that DOE did not 

inadvertently impede such innovation 

in fulfilling its statutory obligations in 

setting efficiency standards for covered 

products and equipment. DOE seeks 

comments, data and information on the 

issues presented in the RFI as they may 

apply to dehumidifiers. 

Issue 14: DOE requests data on the 

prevalence of connected functionality in 

dehumidifiers currently on the market 

in the United States. 

Issue 15: DOE requests information on 

whether the current test procedures for 

dehumidifiers impede the ability of 

manufacturers to provide smart 

technology operations on dehumidifiers. 

5. Ventilation Air 

Appendix X1 requires that any freshair inlet on a whole-home dehumidifier 

be capped and sealed during testing. See 

Section 3.1.3 of appendix X1. In the July 

2015 Final Rule, DOE determined that, 

while sealing the fresh-air inlet on 

dehumidifiers designed to operate with 

the fresh-air intake open may negatively 

impact capacity and efficiency, those 

effects are not significant enough to 

warrant the added test burden of 

providing separate fresh-air inflow. 80 

FR 45811. DOE also noted the lack of 

data regarding representative consumer 

use of fresh-air inlet ducts for wholehome dehumidifiers. 

Issue 16: DOE requests data about the 

prevalence of fresh-air inlet use among 

whole-home dehumidifier consumers. 

Issue 17: DOE seeks feedback on the 

test burden increases associated with 

adding another air-stream in the testing 

configuration to account for the fresh-air 

inlet on those whole-home 

dehumidifiers equipped with such a 

feature. 

C. Other Test Procedure Topics 

In addition to the issues identified 

earlier in this document, DOE welcomes 

comment on any other aspect of the 

existing test procedures for 

dehumidifiers. 

III. Submission of Comments 

DOE invites all interested parties to 

submit in writing by July 30, 2021, 

comments and information on matters 

addressed in this notice and on other 

matters relevant to DOE’s consideration 

of amended test procedures for 

dehumidifiers. These comments and 

information will aid in the development 

of a test procedure notice of proposed 

rulemaking for dehumidifiers if DOE 

determines that amended test 

procedures may be appropriate for these 

products. 

Submitting comments via 

www.regulations.gov. The 

www.regulations.gov web page will 

require you to provide your name and 

contact information. Your contact 

information will be viewable to DOE 

Building Technologies staff only. Your 

contact information will not be publicly 

viewable except for your first and last 

names, organization name (if any), and 

submitter representative name (if any). 

If your comment is not processed 

properly because of technical 

difficulties, DOE will use this 

information to contact you. If DOE 

cannot read your comment due to 

technical difficulties and cannot contact 

you for clarification, DOE may not be 

able to consider your comment. 

However, your contact information 

will be publicly viewable if you include 

it in the comment or in any documents 

attached to your comment. Any 

information that you do not want to be 

publicly viewable should not be 

included in your comment, nor in any 

document attached to your comment. 

Following this instruction, persons 

viewing comments will see only first 

and last names, organization names, 


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34644 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 123 / Wednesday, June 30, 2021 / Proposed Rules 

correspondence containing comments, 

and any documents submitted with the 

comments. 

Do not submit to www.regulations.gov 

information for which disclosure is 

restricted by statute, such as trade 

secrets and commercial or financial 

information (hereinafter referred to as 

Confidential Business Information 

(‘‘CBI’’)). Comments submitted through 

www.regulations.gov cannot be claimed 

as CBI. Comments received through the 

website will waive any CBI claims for 

the information submitted. For 

information on submitting CBI, see the 

Confidential Business Information 

section. 

DOE processes submissions made 

through www.regulations.gov before 

posting. Normally, comments will be 

posted within a few days of being 

submitted. However, if large volumes of 

comments are being processed 

simultaneously, your comment may not 

be viewable for up to several weeks. 

Please keep the comment tracking 

number that www.regulations.gov 

provides after you have successfully 

uploaded your comment. 

Submitting comments via email. 

Comments and documents submitted 

via email will be posted to 

www.regulations.gov. If you do not want 

your personal contact information to be 

publicly viewable, do not include it in 

your comment or any accompanying 

documents. Instead, provide your 

contact information on a cover letter. 

Include your first and last names, email 

address, telephone number, and 

optional mailing address. The cover 

letter will not be publicly viewable as 

long as it does not include any 

comments. 

Include contact information each time 

you submit comments, data, documents, 

and other information to DOE. No faxes 

will be accepted. 

Comments, data, and other 

information submitted to DOE 

electronically should be provided in 

PDF (preferred), Microsoft Word or 

Excel, WordPerfect, or text (ASCII) file 

format. Provide documents that are not 

secured, written in English and free of 

any defects or viruses. Documents 

should not contain special characters or 

any form of encryption and, if possible, 

they should carry the electronic 

signature of the author. 

Campaign form letters. Please submit 

campaign form letters by the originating 

organization in batches of between 50 to 

500 form letters per PDF or as one form 

letter with a list of supporters’ names 

compiled into one or more PDFs. This 

reduces comment processing and 

posting time. 

Confidential Business Information. 

According to 10 CFR 1004.11, any 

person submitting information that he 

or she believes to be confidential and 

exempt by law from public disclosure 

should submit via email two wellmarked copies: One copy of the 

document marked confidential 

including all the information believed to 

be confidential, and one copy of the 

document marked ‘‘non-confidential’’ 

with the information believed to be 

confidential deleted. Submit these 

documents via email to 

Dehumidifier2019TP0026@ee.doe.gov. 

DOE will make its own determination 

about the confidential status of the 

information and treat it according to its 

determination. 

It is DOE’s policy that all comments 

may be included in the public docket, 

without change and as received, 

including any personal information 

provided in the comments (except 

information deemed to be exempt from 

public disclosure). 

DOE considers public participation to 

be a very important part of the process 

for developing test procedures and 

energy conservation standards. DOE 

actively encourages the participation 

and interaction of the public during the 

comment period in each stage of this 

process. Interactions with and between 

members of the public provide a 

balanced discussion of the issues and 

assist DOE in the process. Anyone who 

wishes to be added to the DOE mailing 

list to receive future notices and 

information about this process should 

contact Appliance and Equipment 

Standards Program staff at (202) 287– 

1445 or via email at 

ApplianceStandardsQuestions@

ee.doe.gov. 

Signing Authority 

This document of the Department of 

Energy was signed on June 25, 2021, by 

Kelly Speakes-Backman, Principal 

Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting 

Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy, 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 June 25, 

2021. 

Treena V. Garrett, 

Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. 

Department of Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2021–13982 Filed 6–29–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM 

12 CFR Part 235 

[Regulation II; Docket No. R–1748] 

RIN 7100–AG15 

Debit Card Interchange Fees and 

Routing 

AGENCY: Board of Governors of the 

Federal Reserve System. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; 

extension of comment period. 

SUMMARY: On May 13, 2021, the Board 

of Governors of the Federal Reserve 

System (Board) published in the Federal 

Register a proposal to amend Regulation 

II to clarify that the requirement that 

each debit card transaction must be able 

to be processed on at least two 

unaffiliated payment card networks 

applies to card-not-present transactions, 

clarify the requirements that Regulation 

II imposes on debit card issuers to 

ensure that at least two unaffiliated 

payment card networks have been 

enabled for debit card transactions, and 

standardize and clarify the use of 

certain terminology. The proposal 

provided for a comment period ending 

on July 12, 2021. The Board is extending 

the comment period for 30 days, until 

August 11, 2021. 

DATES: The comment period for the 

notice of proposed rulemaking 

published on May 13, 2021 (86 FR 

26189), is extended. Comments must be 

received by August 11, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by any of the methods identified in the 

proposal. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jess 

Cheng, Senior Counsel (202–452–2309), 

Legal Division; or Krzysztof Wozniak, 

Manager (202–452–3878), Elena 

Falcettoni, Economist (202–452–2528), 

or Larkin Turman, Financial Institution 

and Policy Analyst (202–452–2388), 

Division of Reserve Bank Operations 

and Payment Systems. Users of 

Telecommunication Device for Deaf 

(TDD) only, call (202) 263–4869. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 

13, 2021, the Board of Governors of the 

Federal Reserve System (Board) 

published in the Federal Register a 

proposal to amend Regulation II to 


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